Undercurrents Repost
by Allegra
Summary: A stranger arrives in Roswell shortly before Michael falls ill. Is it just coincidence and his friends save him?
1. Default Chapter

UNDERCURRENTS  
  
A 'ROSWELL HIGH' FAN FICTION  
  
by Allegra  
  
RATING: 15  
  
DISCLAIMER: This is nothing more than fan fiction & is not intended to infringe on the copyrights of the Fox Network, Jason Katims, Sky One, BBC or anyone else holding rights over 'Roswell High'. I am definitely not making profit off this story, so please don't sue me. I just want to put my favourite characters in horrible situations because I know the genuine writers won't oblige!!  
  
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Whilst writing this I was watching the end of the first series, reading Melinda Metz's books and also reading the first few episode transcripts (which I haven't seen). Therefore, there may be some strange discrepancies in the text where I have assumed information taken from both the books and the series. However, these are not major plot factors & shouldn't make a difference to those who haven't read the books. Any other big discrepancies are entirely down to poor writing & for which I apologize & will happily amend if someone tells me.  
  
I would LOVE some feedback!!!  
  
Please e-mail me at audrey@cherrytwist.fsnet.co.uk  
  
**********************  
  
It was a dark, starless night over Roswell, New Mexico; a night in which horrors are simply waiting to happen, invited out of the shadows by the cloak of darkness which had suddenly descended over the town. It is not surprising, then, to discover that, at about midnight, a black car with no number plate rolled up to the outskirts of town and dropped a middle aged man beside the road before turning round and headed back into the desert scrub in a cloud of dust.  
  
The man ran one tanned hand through his dark, dishevelled hair and brushed the dusty sand from his clothes, staring suspiciously at the lights of Roswell. Reaching the main road, he tried to look as inconspicuous as possible as he entered the town, walking quickly but casually down the streets, assessing the layout of the place. Finally, he gave a sigh and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper from his pockets and examined it closely. He moved to the edge of the pavement when a young couple passed him, averting his gaze to avoid any kind of detection. The fewer people who saw his face the better, but these two were too caught up with each other to notice anyone else in the world. Elvis could have tapped them on the shoulder and they would have carried on canoodling! The man opted for the second road on his right and soon he came to the local town hall. Congratulating himself on reaching the building unnoticed, he was grateful to see that his superiors had planned the job with great care. There were people milling around the hall, clearly joining in some social function or other; many had glasses of wine in their hands while others were helping themselves to the large buffet spread out on tables around the room. The man slipped through the double doors of the building, smiling politely at the doorman, who, fortunately, had decided that there wasn't much need for security at a function such as this one and let him pass with a simple wave of his hand. The man headed for a side door on the far side of the room and was relieved to find the staircase which he had been instructed to climb to reach the bell tower. Taking two steps at a time, he reached the highest point of the town and scaled the final, rickety ladder which led directly onto the roof. He pulled a small, smooth metal device from his inside pocket and set about securing to the underside of the bell's housing. When he was certain that it was properly fixed, he quickly made his way back down the ladder and, straightening his tie as casually as if he had been a legitimate guest of the party, sauntered back down the staircase to the buffet.  
  
He was sorely tempted to join the rest of the citizens in whatever it was they were celebrating, especially when the dip looked so good. However, he had performed his duty better than anyone could have hoped for and although the James Bond pride had not yet worn off he knew that mingling would only jeopardise the project. There was nothing to be gained by drawing attention to himself. Instead, he took the back exit and within minutes was back out on the open road where he pulled out his mobile phone, "It's Klein. It's done, right above the bell tower like you asked.....Okay, I'm on my way there now." Shoving the phone in his pocket, the man set off for an outcrop of rocks on the horizon.  
  
**********  
  
Liz Parker was lying on her bed, trying her hardest to concentrate on algebra, but every time she had managed to write a few words, all numbers were forced out of her brain and taken over by the tantalising image of a young man. He was quite tall with dark hair and eyes like bottomless pools which reflected his very soul, his lips were...almost within her grasp. Running her pencil absently over her lips, Liz's eyes lit up at the prospect of seeing Max again. It had only been a few hours since they had left each other but she was already feeling pangs of emptiness for him. Clearly she was not the only one. A clatter against her window forced her out of her reverie and she tentatively pulled back the curtains, peering into the blackness outside. "Hello?" Her brown eyes were wide with fright; she had learned never to trust any noise she heard as merely innocent. One never knew what was lurking beyond the light. "Hello?" Craning her neck cautiously out of the open window, she jumped with shock when a face came into view right in front of her. Every muscle in her suddenly relaxed when Liz realised who it was, "Max!" She took his arm and helped him in to her room, feeling his firm muscles beneath the thin T- shirt. That was the all the protection she needed, to feel his strong arms around her, the immense love which she felt when she was with him. "What are you doing here? My parents would kill you if they knew." Max moved towards her, running his hands lightly up and down her bare arms; his touch alone was electric to her and she felt her heart pound in her chest. "I couldn't help myself. I was just thinking about you...us. I wanted to come." Liz smiled shyly. There was something about the way he said things that always made her feel about five years younger, every word and touch almost made her blush. He pulled her to him and tilted her chin up towards his face, his eyes trailing over her seamless honey skin and settling on her lips. She responded to him as they moved together in a passionate kiss. His hands moved over her back and down to her waist, encircling Liz as she held him close to her. At that moment there was nothing in the world which could mean more to them than each other, nothing could tear them apart. Moving towards the bed, Liz pulled Max down beside her, crushing her homework beneath their bodies. His lips were warm and soft on hers and she had never wanted him so much. Suddenly, they were interrupted by a noise in the hallway and Liz looked urgently at Max, then whispered, "Quick, hide in here." Pulling Liz up from the bed, Max motioned questioningly to the closet and she nodded fiercely. Her mother's voice echoed from the hall, "Liz? Are you still up?" Liz brushed errant strands of hair from her face and cleared her throat before opening the door, "I'm just doing some algebra, Mom." Her mother looked suspiciously past her into the bedroom, "Well, don't stay up too long, honey, you've got school tomorrow. It's past midnight." Liz nodded vehemently,  
  
"Okay, Mom. I'm just finishing up." Her mother forced a smile to her lips and headed back to her own room. Liz waited until she heard the door close before shutting her own and tiptoeing to the closet. She put her finger to her lips, "Shhh! Mom's suspicious. We have to be really quiet." Max glanced nervously towards the door, and then turned back to Liz. He looked into her brown eyes and held her face lightly in his hands, then leaned down and kissed her. He pulled reluctantly away, whispering, "I should go." Liz wanted to protest but she knew that Max was right; they should break it off before something happened and things got out of control. She squeezed him to her for a moment then pulled back to look at him, "Are we still on for the movies tomorrow night?" Max frowned slightly, "Movies?" Liz's eyes sparkled with mischievous glee,  
  
"Well, we are now. So?" Max smiled and planted one final kiss on her forehead before heading towards the window, "I guess we are." He climbed over the ledge and swung across into the trellis running up the side of the house. "I'll see you tomorrow then." Liz nodded, savouring the final moments of watching her boyfriend leaving her house just like Romeo leaving his Juliet.  
  
**********  
  
Michael couldn't sleep, as was so often the case since he had started 'dating' Maria De Luca. Their relationship was the most confusing thing he could ever imagine and he constantly found himself doing the wrong thing just when he thought he had finally got everything figured out. Tonight, however, had been a good night; they had spent the study time after school together doing anything but studying. Michael was only just beginning to realise that Maria wasn't just on his mind when she had done something profoundly annoying, she was simply always on his mind. As he thought about what that might mean, he began to tell himself that perhaps that was simply due to the fact that Maria always insisted that he allow her to go with him. This invariably meant that she created trouble and thus infiltrated everything he thought about, so it couldn't just be an infatuation with the girl.  
  
When he had had trouble sleeping once before, Max had mentioned that drinking milk was supposed to induce relaxation and sleep so Michael opened the fridge and relished the cool air on his bare chest as he downed the rest of the carton and headed back to his room. He threw himself unceremoniously onto the bed and flung his arm over his face in an attempt to block out the moonlight which was glaring through the curtains like a searchlight.  
  
**********  
  
Daylight came quickly over Roswell, chasing away the relative comfort which the cool night afforded in the summer months and its arrival was greeted with varying levels of happiness by the group. Liz couldn't wait to see Max and go on their date, Michael was looking forward to seeing Maria in an oddly distant kind of way while she was not quite so enthusiastic. She enjoyed the intimate sessions they had together, the fall out from it was quite another matter. Michael tended to close up a little and became more difficult to be around that usual, embarrassment perhaps. Isabel and Max never seemed to be too bothered who they saw or what kind of reception they would get; they simply took everything in their stride. This morning was no exception and Max was drawn to Liz like a magnet as soon as he entered the corridor and saw her liquid brown eyes staring back at him over the top of her locker door. Running his hands through her silky, dark hair, he ran a cursive eye around the hallway ensuring that there were no teachers lurking and then leaned down to kiss her. They were broken up within minutes by Maria's arrival, cursing her locker when it wouldn't open which forced Max and Liz apart to look at her quizzically. "Maria? Something wrong?" Liz asked,  
  
"Nothing a new locker wouldn't fix." Max gave his girlfriend a meaningful look which only made Maria a little more annoyed, "You know, it wouldn't hurt to learn that not everyone can have incentives like yourselves to come merrily to school every morning." Max raised his eyebrows and Liz squeezed his hand tightly, trying her hardest not to smile at Maria's bad luck. She wished there were something she could do to make Michael a more amenable person, but some things were just not meant to be. Maria just had to take him as he came, attitude problems and all, although Liz had to admit sometimes even she was bowled over by how insensitive the guy could be, especially with Max for a friend. Ah, Max. Before she could help herself, she caught herself leaning up against him, her head on his arm and their arms were intertwining behind their backs like ivy. Doomed not to be together until at least first break, just as the bell rang, Michael arrived, slouching towards them in black trousers and a dark blue T-shirt. Pushing past Max, he pulled roughly at his locker door, shooting daggers at the couple, "Get a room next time, it's too early." His voice betrayed the venom he was feeling for them. Liz pulled abruptly away from her boyfriend and tugged a little at Maria's arm to encourage her to class. Max moved closer to Michael, "What's the matter, Michael?" Michael gave him a withering look and turned back to the worryingly small pile of books he was choosing from. "Just give everyone a break, that's all. Porn is a late night activity, okay, not for school." Max pulled back slightly, it was customary for his friend to be a little terse about his relationship with Liz. Michael seemed to think that their girlfriends were only there when he chose and could be disposed of when more important things came up, hence the reason his issues with Maria were so confused. However, it was not quite so usual for him to be downright mean about it. "Is there something bothering you?" Michael slammed his locker shut and leaned one arm against it for a moment, labouring his words as if he were speaking to a kindergarten child, "I am simply asking for a little less cheese first thing in the morning. Comprende?" Pulling away, he marched down the corridor, leaving Max to digest his so-called friend's words, to try and figure out what they truly meant. Max glanced distractedly at Liz and Maria, who remarked, "God, someone got out of the wrong side of the pod this morning." She linked her arm through Liz's and headed off in the direction of history class.  
  
**********  
  
Maria had ignored Michael since the outburst that morning, knowing full well that it was better to leave him alone in times like these, that she would only make matters worse. By lunch time, she had plucked up enough courage to seek him out and chip away at the rock he had so carefully built around himself. He was leaning up against a tree in one of the school quads, and Maria tentatively approached him, before settling herself opposite him on the grass. "Michael?" Behind his sunglasses, Maria couldn't tell if he was looking at her or not, or even if he was awake, but his body visibly tensed a little and he pulled himself up a little straighter against the bark. He seemed unusually flustered by her arrival, "Maria. What do you want?" Maria opened her mouth in vague disbelief,  
  
"Do I have to have a reason to come see you? Michael, if we are going to be together, you are going to have to understand the concept of spending time together...properly. Not just in the back of a car or..." Michael did not move and Maria wished she could take off his glasses and see what he was thinking, but she stopped herself mid-sentence. This was not why she sought him out, "Never mind. What I want is to find out what's bugging you." Michael sighed,  
  
"Nothing." Maria could sense the hurt behind his words and knew she had to persevere,  
  
"If its nothing, why are you sitting out here all by yourself?"  
  
"You think that is unusual?" He noted wryly. Maria licked her lips and moved closer to him, noticing the almost imperceptible way in which he shrank from her. "Michael, is there something, you know, alien related that you are hiding?" Michael bristled at the prospect that his friends should think he was always hiding things from them. "What would be the point of that, Maria? No, I am not." She was determined not to get angry but to try a less confrontative approach. "Okay, never mind. You don't have to tell me." She rested her hand on his leg, hoping that a little intimacy might bring out some information. Opening her sandwiches, Maria flicked distastefully at the bread, examining the contents as if it were a science project. "God, what is this?" While she was absorbed in her lunch, Michael was watching her closely from the protective haven of his tinted sunglasses. He was weighing up the pros and cons of telling his girlfriend anything, how she would take his being weak for once in his life. "Maria, I...think that I..." Maria was suddenly alert, all attention focused on Michael, but everything fell apart when they both heard, "Maria! Michael!" Liz was waving at them from the other side of the quad, dragging Max away from one of his friends towards the tree. Michael's eyes darted from Liz to Maria for a moment and he shifted uncomfortably away from the tree. Max and Liz arrived and sat down beside Maria, "You guys want to come to the movies tonight?" Maria knew that Michael was in no mood, so she spared him the effort of making what would probably be a very ungracious excuse, "No, thanks. I've got some stuff to do, homework and things." Liz nodded,  
  
"Okay." Max and Liz were busy chatting like there was no tomorrow while Maria watched her boyfriend closely, wishing that they hadn't been interrupted. What had he wanted to tell her? It sounded important, but then, Michael always had problems opening up even to tell her that he cared for her...which most people didn't think twice about. She tried to sound casual when Liz directed anything at her, but Maria's mind was far from interested.  
  
Michael was kicking himself inside for thinking of telling Maria anything. He felt sick, probably from lack of sleep, but all he had succeeded in doing now was making her suspicious and that always led to talking to Liz who would invariably go to Max. Before he knew it, they would be all over him like a rash, forcing confessions out of him and watching him as if he were dying of a terminal illness. His angry thoughts were interrupted by a sharp pain which ran from temple to temple like someone had stabbed a hot knife through his brain and twisted it. His hand shot to his head, but he tried to steady himself, running it through his hair instead to cover up the searing pain which burst from every part of his head. It was just like the pain he had experienced that morning before school, but, as now, he refused to acknowledge that there could be anything wrong. It was probably just some migraine from the stress they had all been under recently. The pain stabbed again, radiating across his brain like acid on flesh, burning and sending an involuntary shiver down his spine. Suddenly, Michael stood up, "I've got to go." He thought to himself, Nice one, Michael, now they are all suspicious as all eyes focused on him. He began to make some feeble excuse when the next wave hit him and he grabbed the tree trunk to steady himself until the white light around him began to fade. By the time it cleared, Maria was standing next to him, holding his arm, her eyes filled with terror. "Michael?" Max and Liz were getting up, too, and Michael pulled away from his girlfriend abruptly. "I'm fine." Focusing on the other side of the quad and determined to make it over there before he collapsed, he mumbled, "I just got up too quickly." When Maria still did not release his arm, he shook her off and stumbled away from them. "I'm fine." Maria desperately wanted to go after him, but Max drew her back. "Leave him." Maria turned to him, fear in her eyes, "Max? What's going on?" Max looked after Michael, who had just disappeared into the toilets. "I don't know." Liz offered her friend a comforting look, but her efforts were lost on Maria. 


	2. Part 2

UNDERCURRENTS PART 2 (See first part for disclaimers)  
  
By Allegra  
  
**********  
  
Liz and Maria went about their work quietly at the Crashdown that evening, both turning over the same information in their minds but refusing to say what they were thinking out loud. Having managed to get three orders wrong in the space of an hour and spilled coffee over a customer, Maria's attempts at casual were crumbling and Liz was the first to say something. She watched as her friend quickly slipped into the back room, tugging at the strings of her apron, tears already brimming in her green eyes. Checking that the last few customers were gone for the night, Liz locked up the front and cautiously opened the changing room door. "Maria?" There was no answer only the faint scuffle of someone dressing very quickly, barely covering feeble sobs. "Maria." Liz pulled off her own apron and moved closer to her friend, placing a comforting hand on her arm. "I know you are worried about him." Finally succumbing to the emotions she had been trying so hard to restrain all evening, Maria collapsed into Liz's arms, "I just...don't know anything anymore, you know." Liz rocked her gently, silently waiting for the sobs to abate.  
  
When Maria had calmed down a bit, Liz cooked them up some waffles and made hot chocolate which they were tucking into in one of the side booths. Liz was relieved to see that Maria had perked up a little as she slathered her waffle in maple syrup like there was no tomorrow. "God, I never realised how hungry worrying made you."  
  
Liz smiled, "Yeah, that's something I've learned a lot about lately." Maria paused for a moment, looking sternly at her best friend. "Thanks, Liz. You've been so great about all of this stuff....I don't know why this has rattled me so much."  
  
"It's understandable. Of course you are spooked. They're not like us, we don't know anything about them, really."  
  
Maria sipped her chocolate, nodding vigorously, "Right, exactly. I mean, if you or I had a headache, we'd know what it was or go to a regular doctor. With them...it's different. It's complicated."  
  
"And we don't know what makes them sick. It's perfectly normal for us to feel like this."  
  
"You mean, panicked all the time?!"  
  
Liz laughed, "Yeah. Everything is so new, even they don't know what they can or can't do." Maria put her fork down with a clatter, her face drawn into a fierce expression. "But, at least you have something with Max - with Michael...I just never know when he'll let me in." Liz knew how difficult Michael could be to get close to, that was no secret, but her relationship with Max was no picnic sometimes. "Maria, I know it doesn't seem like it sometimes, but I think part of the reason Michael reacts badly to you sometimes is because he truly loves you." Maria gave her a dubious look. "He's never had anyone who truly cared about him before...you know, an outsider. He is just afraid of his own feelings for you."  
  
"You really think so?"  
  
"I know so. It is written on his face every time he sees you."  
  
"Well, then, why won't he talk to me?"  
  
Liz laughed, "You two are so alike, so impatient. Give him time, Maria. He'll come around." Prodding at her waffle, Maria stared in disgust at the puddle of maple syrup she had poured on her waffle. Grimacing slightly, she said, "All right, before I send myself back to their home planet on a self-induced sugar high, I think I'll call it a night." She grabbed her bag and stood up, "Thanks, Liz. You're a great friend. I don't know what I'd do without you."  
  
"Goodnight, Maria." Checking that everything was in order, Liz locked the whole restaurant up and headed home. She was pleased that Maria had found some peace of mind, but it didn't make any of their problems go away. In fact, it only reminded her again of how difficult her future with Max was going to be. She was concerned for Michael, but her heart told her that it was probably just a flu bug or something equally terrestrial. No, her real worry lay with the hard truth that there were so many things had she might never find out about Max, so many dangers they would have to face because of their ignorance. Even the three aliens had no idea where they truly came from or what they had to do to get home and what they were vulnerable to. More to the point, if they ever found Nasedo and found a way 'home', where would that leave Liz? Or Max? They were trying to make a life for themselves together. Would he really be able to throw all of that away simply for the sake of a planet he had never seen? More importantly, could she?  
  
All these thoughts and fears ran through Liz Parker's head as she prepared for bed, and as she lay back beneath the covers, her head pulsed with adrenaline and nervous energy coursed through her limbs. Tossing restlessly, she passed the night in silent torment, wondering if Max ever felt the same. Little did she know that she was not the only one.  
  
**********  
  
Michael Guerin had practically run from school that day, more relieved than he had imagined to get home safely without being accosted by any of his friends. What he wanted more than anything right now was to sleep, do something to relieve the pounding which drummed through his head like a herd of elephants. He secretly thanked his lucky stars that he was not supposed to be working tonight. The last thing he felt like doing was slaving over a hot stove with Liz and Maria watching him like hawks to see how long it took for him to sprout gills or keel over. He had good self restraint but right now Michael didn't feel capable of very much, especially putting on a healthy act to ward off other people's concerns for him.  
  
He went to the refrigerator and relished the coolness which bathed his heated flesh while he rummaged around for the icy water he kept stored near the back. As he swallowed the freezing liquid, Michael could feel its passage right down to his stomach. It jolted his brain into another mode, causing him to gasp as the extreme temperatures raging his body battled it out for supremacy. By the time he had finished the whole bottle, Michael was disappointed to realise that heat had won and he didn't feel much better than he had earlier. Throwing back a couple of painkillers, he headed for his bedroom, pulling the blinds firmly down and pitching his room into blackness.  
  
The silence only served to heighten the sensations going on inside Michael, the rapid beating of his heart, his laboured breathing, the throbbing ache in his temples and the sweat which prickled across his skin like thousands of tiny pin pricks. Trying hard to focus on the enveloping darkness of the room, Michael slowly succumbed to a fitful sleep, refusing to acknowledge the nagging in the back of his head which told him there was something really wrong here.  
  
**********  
  
Alex had spent the afternoon with Isabel, finally forcing her to agree to a friendly drink with him. He had been feeling increasingly left out by all the events which had surrounded the three 'visitors' and Isabel was really his only reference point. Alex did not like to spend too much time with Max because he was a bit too serious to have any kind of light-hearted conversation with. Besides, what would they have to talk about? Hey Max, saved anyone's life lately? How are the plans for getting back to your alien family going? Somehow, there was nothing appropriate to say, so awkward silences abounded until Alex realised he should simply avoid Max. Michael, of course, was another matter entirely. Not even the most confident people tried to speak to him, well, generally speaking anyway. His friends were few and far between and Alex was not about to try to get closer. Michael was an unknown quantity and he clearly wanted to keep it that way. No, Isabel was the only approachable one of the bunch and while she had been a little frosty at first, they had got to know each other quite well now. Alex knew that Isabel wasn't interested in him in a romantic way, but he could always live in hope and if a drink at the Crashdown was the best he could do, then that would suffice.  
  
He had been hoping to quiz her a bit more on the whole alien race theme which they seemed to cover so frequently and perhaps Alex could dig a little in order to find out how Isabel really felt about him. Little did he know how wrong he was. After a few tentative questions to warm her up, Alex began to gain confidence and his queries became more probing, until Isabel visibly snapped. "Give it a rest, Alex. I didn't come here for the Spanish Inquisition, I was under the impression we were here as friends." Alex felt the colour rise to his cheeks and he squirmed with embarrassment in his seat,  
  
"I'm sorry. We are."  
  
"Well, you could have fooled me."  
  
"I'm just interested, that's all." He stabbed at the ice in his cola with the straw, distractedly. Isabel, as usual, was perfectly still, never showing signs of losing control or showing her emotions spontaneously. "It would just be nice if we could have a regular conversation every now and then. You know, one where you don't make me feel like some freak from outer space." Alex nodded, humbly. "I'm sorry." Recognising that he was uncomfortable, Isabel made an effort to relax him again, "So, what do you make of the new French teacher? I saw you looking at her the other day." Alex smiled, mischievously, "Well, you have to admit, she is pretty hot." Isabel laughed at the mental image she had just formed of gangly Alex coupled with the sophisticated Miss Jones. "I don't know, she looks kind of dangerous to me." Alex smiled, That's one thing I should know all about, he thought.  
  
**********  
  
"Max? Are you here?" A moment later, the handsome face of Max Evans appeared around the door of his room. His expression altered from a kind of blankness to vague surprise, "Liz? What are you doing here?" Shifting uncomfortably in the hallway, Liz stared down at her feet, sheepishly. "Your mom told me to come on up. I'm sorry..." Max grabbed her arm quickly, shaking his head,  
  
"No, I'm glad you came, just...hold on a second." He pushed the door to for a moment, tugging on a pair of jeans before opening the door wide again. "Come on in." Liz smiled, relieved that her boyfriend seemed to be in a fairly good mood this morning. He ran one hand through his unruly black hair, then, glancing at the bed, he quickly began to make a space for her to sit amongst the mess. "Sorry it is such a mess here. I wasn't expecting visitors."  
  
"I could come back later..." Max threw some dirty washing on the floor and kicked it unceremoniously under the bed. "No, no, that's not what I meant. It's just, it's early and, well, it's a Saturday. I figured you'd be enjoying a lie-in like the rest of us." Liz's doe eyes widened as she tried to digest what it was that Max was trying to say to her. Finally, he calmed down a bit, clearly embarrassed by being caught unaware. "Is there something wrong?" Liz shook her head,  
  
"No, I just...I wanted to see you."  
  
"Have you had breakfast?"  
  
"Not yet, I thought we could eat together."  
  
"Sure. Let's go." He grabbed a jacket from the back of the door and ushered her out, taking a final look back at the damage of what Liz must have seen. Knocking on Isabel's door to see if she wanted to join them, they were greeted with a groan, then something neither would like to repeat. Taking her boyfriend's hand in her own, Liz was secretly grateful that Isabel didn't want to come. She had been hoping to talk seriously with Max, explain her feelings and perhaps find some reassurance or comfort from him.  
  
**********  
  
After a fairly brief breakfast down at the Crashdown, Max and Liz decided to go for a walk together out by the chalk pits. They stopped by one of the lakes left behind by the recent rainfall and Max skimmed stones across the still water, watching the ripples spreading out towards the edges. Liz joined in for a while, making pitiful attempts which usually ended with a resounding 'plop' at the edge of the water. Max gave up trying to show her and threw his handful into the lake before pulling her to him and planting a kiss firmly on her lips. "Are you okay?" He asked the question sincerely, his brows drawn together into a concerned frown. Liz smiled and kissed him again before resting her head on his muscular chest, "I'm fine. I'm happy, I'm always happy when I'm with you." Max squeezed her closer, inhaling the familiar scent of her hair - the lingering odour of coconut and jasmine. "Me too." Liz waited a beat, staring out across the still lake and the chalky horizon beyond. "How's Michael?" Max pulled away from her and sat down on one of the prominent outcrops of rock. "I don't know actually. I figured I should leave him for a while." Liz nodded,  
  
"Maria is worried." Max made no reply, so she went on. "Are you?" At this, he turned to her, his green eyes suddenly impenetrable in the blinding midday sunlight. "Michael has always been closed up with his feelings. He doesn't like people to smother him. I'm sure this will just turn out to be nothing." Liz began to weigh up the pros and cons of telling Max her feelings right then, but something stopped her. He didn't seem all that concerned about Michael and maybe she was blowing matters out of proportion, maybe there wasn't that much at risk here after all. Surely he couldn't be oblivious to the problems which the future might hold for them; Max must have pondered over them, too. Liz inwardly reprimanded herself for being so quick to panic and added, "Well, maybe we should stop by his house on the way home to see if he's okay." Max nodded and got to his feet, pulling Liz up after him.  
  
**********  
  
"Great minds think alike." Maria's voice sounded strained as she approached Max's jeep when he and Liz pulled up outside Michael's house. Liz swung herself out of the passenger seat and pulled her jacket tighter around her small frame. "God, aren't you cold, Maria? How's Michael?" She shook her head slowly, "I haven't seen him. There was no answer. I was about to check round the back when you guys came." Max marched purposefully up the path, prepared for the onslaught that usually followed when he came in, uninvited. Michael made no secret about the fact that he wasn't the sociable kind and he especially didn't like to think that people could walk in on him whenever they felt like it. Maria and Liz followed closely behind. Max knocked hard on the door, "Michael? Are you here?" When there was no reply, Maria shrugged her shoulders in an I told you so gesture. They gently opened the door and Liz murmured, "Well, it's not locked."  
  
"Michael?" Liz checked the living room and Maria headed down the corridor to his friend's bedroom, stopping short when he found the door firmly shut. He had never known Michael to shut a door or even so much as kick it closed; it was especially unusual for him to shut himself away like this. Maria caught up with him and unceremoniously rapped on the door before sighing, "Michael? Michael, we're coming in, all right?" She glanced at Max for signs of back up and pushed the door open, slowly. "Michael?" The room was pitch black, the blinds pulled firmly closed, but the place was cold. Maria shivered, involuntarily, "Jesus, it's freezing in here." She leaned over to the window and twisted the blinds open slightly and almost jumped out of her skin when she realised that Michael was in the bed, fast asleep. "Michael!" Max's expression changed from casual to concerned, a frown flickering across his brow. It was unlike any of them to sleep for longer than a couple of hours and that was usually pretty late, not midday. What was more menacing though was the fact that Michael had not even heard them knocking or moving around his house, he was usually hyper aware of anyone invading his space, any tiny sound. He approached the bed and Maria sat down on the edge, brushing one hand lightly over Michael's shoulder, and whispered, "Michael?" He did not stir for a moment, until Maria leaned in closer and ran her fingers through his hair, brushing it away from his pale forehead.  
  
Michael was dimly aware of people around him but something prevented him from reaching out to them. He felt like he was swimming underwater, everything went in slow motion and he was struggling towards the distant sensation of someone's hands on him, a voice calling his name and he sluggishly tried to recognise it. It was so familiar...now it was set off with the sweet scent of cedar... and grapefruit shampoo. He heard himself murmur, "Maria?" but he wasn't sure whether it came from his own mouth or if it was just an echo inside his head. Suddenly, he felt a cold wind all around him and his eyes snapped open and Maria's face swam into vision above him. They were soon joined by Max and Liz. Maria continued running her fingers through his hair, tracing the contours of his cheekbone, "Wakey, wakey sleepyhead! Are you all right, Michael?" Taking stock of the situation and reorienting himself, Michael frowned and ran one hand across his forehead as if swiping away the last remnants of sleep from his mind. "I'm fine. What are you guys doing here?" Max stepped back to give his friend some room when he saw the darting, defensive look in Michael's eyes. "We were worried, so..." Michael sat up abruptly, instantly regretting it when spots of light danced in front of his eyes and he blinked hard until the room swam back into focus again. "I was just tired, okay." Maria edged away from him, feeling the prickly shield he had begun to put up around himself. "Are you sick?" she asked. He gave her a sharp look before turning away,  
  
"No. There is nothing wrong with me. Can't a guy just be tired occasionally without you people turning it into some major drama? Jesus, it's like living in a soap or something." Max steeled himself against Michael's anger. "It would be fine...if you were just 'a guy', but you're not, Michael. You are an alien and we don't get tired except for about two hours out of twenty-four."  
  
"Yeah, well, I haven't been asleep that long, okay."  
  
Liz linked one arm through Max's to reassure him as he continued, "It's almost midday, Michael." A wave of shock went through Michael before he could suppress it and he only hoped none of his friends had seen it. "Yeah, well, I, uhh, I took a pill, all right? I had a headache." Max frowned,  
  
"You had a headache." Michael realised that perhaps he should have come up with a better excuse, all things considered. Sighing, he ran one hand through his hair, "Yeah, I did. I think it was an undercooked burger or something." Maria and Liz exchanged dubious looks and Maria edged closer to Michael again, quickly placing the palm of her hand on his forehead. "You are hot, Michael." He shoved her hand away and stood up, "Well, it's hot in here." Maria noticed the goose bumps which stood out on both her own arms and his but said nothing. "Will you stop giving me the third degree, okay?! I'm fine. I was fine yesterday and I'm even finer today. Just stop fussing. I assure you there is nothing supernatural about the way I am feeling right now. In fact, I feel better already, so just drop it." Max, Liz and Maria followed Michael as he headed for the kitchen where he proceeded to swig milk from the carton. It made him want to gag, just the thought of food or drink made him feel completely sick, but he couldn't let anyone suspect anything more than they already did. Come on, Michael, he told himself, just a few more minutes and you'll win yourself an oscar. Three faces watched him with a mixture of concern and curiosity as if milk were going to elicit some bizarre reaction from him. "Quit staring at me." Michael's eyes darted fiercely from one person to the other, challenging them to say anything.  
  
Max watched his best friend with concern. Everything was wrong here and, as usual, Michael was making it near impossible to find out anything. He noted his pale complexion and the darkening rings which had begun to form beneath Michael's dull, blue eyes. Over the space of only a few hours, his face had taken on a gaunt appearance, his jawline and cheekbones even more pronounced than usual. As he scrutinised Michael putting the milk back in the refrigerator, Max noted how his hand was visibly shaking as his fingers gripped the carton tighter, his fingernails whitening against the added pressure. Max knew that he would never open up when he was cornered and the only way to help him was if he spoke to Michael alone. Now wasn't the time, though. Michael needed to collect his thoughts, prepare himself to speak to Max - to be willing. Guiding Liz towards the door, Max said quietly, "Okay, Michael. You know where I am if you want to talk." Michael didn't turn to say goodbye, not trusting his mask of confidence to last much longer. Liz called out, "Maria, are you coming?" Maria took a step closer to Michael and he tensed up when he felt her presence right beside him. "I'll be out in a minute. You two go ahead." She waited until she heard the front door click shut before tentatively reaching out to Michael. His breath caught in his throat and Michael prayed that he could keep up this act for a few moments longer. He tried to concentrate hard on breathing normally and trying to regulate the thumping of his heart which seemed to pound around his whole body. When Maria began running her hand lightly down his back, he was certain she must be able to feel his rapid heartbeat through the thin cotton of his T-shirt, but if she did, she made no comment. Instead, she moved even closer to him and leaned her head against his arm. Michael made no attempt to return her affection, until she pulled him around to face her then cupped his face in her hands. "Michael, no matter what, I'm here for you, okay. You can talk to me about anything and I swear I won't tell a soul." Her eyes, like pools of cobalt blue, stared up at him, filled with desperation and care, but he refused to look at her. He stared off behind her head, focusing on the trees outside the window and the control which he had to maintain over his unresponsive body. Maria shook him lightly, "Michael, look at me." Wincing as a bolt of pain darted through his skull, Michael forced himself to meet her gaze. "Michael, I love you." She barely thought the words before they were out of her mouth and Maria was momentarily surprised by her own forwardness. She knew she really cared about Michael, but she had never planned to tell him she loved him straight away like that. Suddenly, she felt a little embarrassed, but then the look of sadness and pain which flitted across her boyfriend's face reassured her that it was the right thing to do. "I'm gonna go, but...if you want me...for anything...just let me know." She surveyed his face for a moment, trying to see inside his thoughts, but Michael's mask was impenetrable. Maria planted a kiss firmly on his lips and headed to the door, only sparing a brief look back to see him slump back against the sideboard. Resisting the urge to go to him, she slipped outside to join Max and Liz.  
  
As soon as he heard the door close, Michael turned to the counter and placed his palms flat against the cool surface, focusing as hard as he could on the shiny Formica. It took everything he had just to hold himself together for a few moments longer; Max would be back in there in a second if he heard Michael fall. If only he could just figure out what was causing the headaches; they were unlike anything he had ever experienced before which immediately pointed to something alien rather than human. That was not a good sign because it meant that it was unlikely he would get an explanation from anywhere. Clearly, the 'alien disguised as human' manual had been destroyed in the crash or something which pretty much left Michael in the dark over everything strange which happened in his life. Sometimes he enjoyed the thrill of discovering new skills which he could use and test when nobody else knew, but when it came to health, he had quickly learned that the only result was D.A.N.G.E.R. God, I wish there was someone I could talk to, Michael told himself, but he immediately stopped himself. There is someone - you have Max, you have Isabel, you have Maria. Just go to them, tell them. Michael's mind returned to focusing on the counter table and as he did so, he realised that the stabbing pain had also receded for the time being. At that moment, with the pain kept firmly at bay, he felt much better and regretted being so weak as to bother other people with what was clearly nothing more than a simple headache. The last thing he wanted was to have all his friends crowding around him and wrapping him in cotton wool. Besides, not only would it make him an object of sympathy which Michael hated, it would also frighten Isabel and Max unnecessarily. They did not need the added burden of wondering what was wrong which him when they already had to deal with Valenti, the question of finding their ship and where the damned shape shifter was. Just as when Max achieved collective consciousness, it became a group fear because neither he nor Isabel knew when they would be next and if they would survive. If there was one thing which the three of them never discussed it was death - the whens and wherefores of it all. It was morbid and they all knew that no comforting words or gestures could make the slightest difference to its outcome. They were not human, they never would be and no matter how they tried to hide their feelings of isolation, the knowledge that their bodies were otherworldly time bombs just waiting to explode made it difficult to mention even the word 'sick' or 'green around the gills'. Easing himself into a chair in front of the television, Michael channel surfed for a few moments before a dull ache in his temples told him that radio waves were not the best way to fight this illness. A moment later the ache was succeeded by a wave of nausea and, trying to control his urge to gag, Michael barely made it to the sink before he threw up. His body was wracked with convulsions for about five minutes straight before the tension built up inside his stomach began to ease and he wheezed dryly for a while before staggering back to his bedroom. There, he coiled himself up into a foetus position, wrapping his arms tightly around his cramped stomach and ignoring the bitter taste of bile which filled his mouth.  
  
********** 


	3. Part 3

UNDERCURRENTS - PART 3 (See Part 1 for disclaimers)  
By Allegra  
  
A few hours later, Max and Liz were settled in Liz's bedroom trying to remain light-hearted for Maria's sake. She had barely said a word since they had left Michael's house and, despite Liz's attempts to bring her out of herself with talk of cedar oils and aromatherapy baths, Maria had remained passive. Max had understood all of Liz's desperate glances in his direction but he felt helpless to comfort their friend. He knew only too well that Michael and Isabel never got sick except when it was some alien ailment which invariably involved a risky venture out to some military base or life threatening molecular motivation to help. Every thought which entered Max's brain was another point to the red team, no matter how hard he tried to find a positive to help Maria.   
  
Finally, Maria broke the silence for him, "Liz, there is no cedar oil strong enough to help me through this."   
  
Liz pulled her friend close to her, "Maria, we don't know that there is anything truly wrong."   
  
Maria snorted, dismissively, "Yeah, well then, why hasn't Max said a word all this time?"   
  
Her eyes locked onto Max's and he felt the urge to look away, afraid that she could somehow read his mind, but forced himself to hold her gaze. "Huh, Max? You know Michael is anything but fine, right? Help me out here."   
  
Max's expression melted from cold reserve to sincere sympathy when he saw the tears spring to Maria's eyes. She wiped them angrily away, leaving red tracks across her face with the back of her hand. Her voice quaked a little when she spoke, her words almost choking in her throat. "Max, tell me what's wrong with him. Please."   
  
Liz stared at her boyfriend, willing him to give the right answer, but she knew there was none. Max opened his mouth to speak but his throat was dry and raw. He swallowed hard and his gaze wandered from one anxious girl to the other. "Maria, I wish I could tell you something, something that you'd want to hear, but....I honestly don't know what I can say."   
  
Maria steadied her voice against building frustration and anger which strained to lash out at anyone within range. "The truth."   
  
Max nodded, slowly. He knew this must be just as hard for her as it was for him. "I don't know, and that is the truth, Maria."   
  
At that moment, Isabel knocked on the door and entered without waiting for a reply. Alex Whitman trailed behind, sitting down beside Liz on the bed. Isabel looked from one person to the next, her eyes searching and frightened. "I figured you'd be here. What's wrong, Max? I sensed your fear earlier. It's Michael, isn't it?"   
  
No one said a word and Alex looked over at Maria who had buried her head on Liz's shoulder. Her body was trembling slightly and it was clear that she was crying. "Max?" his sister probed.   
  
Max stood up quickly and went over to the window, "Look, I don't know what's wrong with him, all right! I don't have any more clue than you do. Why does everyone seem to think that I should know the answers?!"   
  
Maria lifted her head and wiped rivulets of tears from her cheeks and Liz said, quietly, "No one thinks you have the answers, Max. It's just that you've always been closer to Michael than anyone else. If there was something wrong, you'd probably be the first to sense it."   
  
Isabel sat down in the spot which her brother had vacated. "I'm sorry, Max. I didn't mean to lean on you like that, I'm just worried."   
  
Alex nodded sombrely, "We all are, but sitting here talking about it isn't going to help Michael."   
  
Maria drew a deep breath, "You got any better ideas, oh great oracle?"   
  
Ignoring the sarcasm which dripped from every word, Alex looked at Isabel then Max. Maria was right, there was nothing he could do, nothing Liz or Maria could do. Only Michael's own kind would ever be able to help him. "If you two can use your powers to look into people's minds, read their thoughts, you could do the same to Michael. If he knows what is wrong, you'll be able to pull it out of his mind."   
  
Isabel looked doubtful, "What if we can't? I mean we can't get in if he won't let us. Michael is easily as strong as me, maybe even Max."   
  
Her voice sounded almost needy, something Alex never expected to sense in Isabel; she had always been the strong one, the ice maiden who was self-contained. She didn't rely on anyone and certainly didn't ask for help unless it was offered to her.   
  
Alex glanced at Max to gauge his reaction but he merely waited for Alex to continue. "Well, if you can change molecular structures, couldn't you find out what is making Michael sick and then eliminate the sick cells or something? That wouldn't be playing with his mind, would it? I mean, do you need his permission?"   
  
His voice trailed off a little towards the end, suddenly aware of how ridiculous and far fetched all of this must sound. However, nobody objected or jumped in to attack Alex, so he waited for the idea to sink in a little longer.   
  
Isabel was nodding slowly, assessing the feasibility of the plan. "With Michael's help, we might be able to do it."   
  
Finally, Max spoke up, "Well, right now it's the best plan we've got."   
  
Maria followed his gaze and it was clear that he was only really talking to Isabel. For a moment, she felt a pang of anger towards him for ignoring her and Liz, but she checked herself. After all, it was Max and Isabel who would have to carry out this psychical examination.   
  
Liz gently pulled her hand away from Maria's shoulders and said, "We just have to get Michael to agree."  
  
**********  
  
Somewhere in the desert outside Roswell, a group of scientists were huddled around a small monitor, savouring the feeling of achievement which ran through the group. This was a big day for all of them, because it was the first day of the end. Within a week, they would have genuine aliens in the holding cells. Out with the suspicions and in with the evidence. Dr. Palmano marched through the double security doors, swiping his identity card fluidly as he had done so many times over the ten years he had been working at Sector 45.   
  
"Gentlemen, do we have any activity?"   
  
One of the white coated scientists wheeled his chair a little further from the monitor, giving Palmano a perfect view of the read outs. He pointed to a series of frequency waves which ran across one of the screens. "We have set the device to trigger level one, but there doesn't appear to be any particularly abnormal activity in the local surgery or hospital. In fact, as far as I can tell, Roswell is continuing as normal."   
  
Dr. Palmano leaned over and tore a section of the print out off and examined it closely. Glancing at the panel of wires, screens and monitoring equipment, he drew his brow into a frown.   
  
"Dr. Gleeson? Have you considered that those who are sick, those who have something to hide, might not choose to turn themselves into the local health services? They are much more likely to leave town completely."   
  
Dr. Gleeson paled, a feat considering the severe lighting in the compound. "Might I ask how you are containing the townspeople?"   
  
Gleeson stammered for a moment and then began to turn a bright shade of purply red. Palmano picked up the telephone and held the receiver close to Gleeson's ear, simultaneously tapping numbers into the keypad.   
  
"Sheriff Valenti. Tell him that there has been an epidemic in the next town and that no one must leave or enter until the problem has been contained."   
  
There was a faint click as the telephone was picked up at the other end and a tinny voice said, "Roswell Sheriff's Station, Sheriff Valenti speaking."   
  
Gleeson stammered for a moment, his eyes desperately darting from the monitors to his superior while his mouth opened and closed in a perfect imitation of a fish out of water.   
  
Casting him a disgusted glare, Palmano snatched the receiver and cleared his throat, "Sheriff Valenti, this is Dr. Palmano from the State Disease Control Centre. We have a bit of a situation down here in New Mexico. There has been an unfortunate epidemic in a town south of Roswell called Orchard Park. It was believed to be a simple case of the flu but there have been some strange side effects instigated by very severe headaches. I, therefore, request that you contain your people within the city limits until further notice. No one is to leave the town or enter it. I will send a highly trained medical team to you equipped with appropriate contamination equipment and a full statement explaining the details of the incident."   
  
There was a long pause at the other end of the line before Valenti responded, "Wow, Dr. Palmano, I had no idea there was such a high risk. It will take some time to fully seal Roswell from outsiders and insiders wishing to leave."   
  
Dr. Palmano did not bat an eyelid at the sheriff's wary tone, but smiled as if the man were right in front of him. "I understand, Sheriff Valenti, but speed is of the utmost importance here. I have a small army unit at your disposal, but I would not wish to frighten your citizens unnecessarily. This isn't a Stephen King novel, after all!"   
  
The joke got the appropriate response from Valenti.   
  
"Let me know if you are having difficulties detaining people and I will, of course, provide you with ample enforcements."   
  
Valenti muttered something, then asked, "Is there any chance of getting a copy of your orders by fax within the next few hours? It's just that the Roswell folk are always highly suspicious of any such goings-on. I am sure you can imagine."   
  
Palmano made some crack about aliens before flicking a hand towards Dr. Gleeson and then said, "Of course, Sheriff. I will have it out to you within the hour. Thank you for your co-operation."   
  
Rounding off the conversation with a few niceties but enough decorum to ensure the job was taken seriously, Palmano placed the phone back in its cradle. "Gleeson, pull up some record from the disease centre and write what I have just told Valenti. Fax it to him within half an hour."   
  
Tapping furiously into the computer, Gleeson nodded as if his head were about to fall off, determined to please his superior before he got the sack or worse. Palmano strode to the door then turned back to his men, "Oh, and step the frequency up. I don't believe that subtlety is the right tactic in light of this new plan."   
  
**********  
  
It had been decided to leave Michael alone until the next day after school. There was no point in upsetting him when he was already defensive and both Max and Maria had made it easy for him to approach them when he felt ready. They only hoped that he would take them up on their offer rather than making them go back to him. Maria had been reluctant to agree because she was so worried about him and as much as she desperately wanted to run to him and hold him, she knew that all Michael wanted was to be alone. Everything had been more or less settled that night but everything took a new spin the next morning when Liz saw the newspaper heading. An epidemic sweeping into Roswell? Everyone was to stay in town until clearance was provided by the medics? There was something seriously wrong with this picture and she wanted to know what that was. She was grateful that Max had decided to swing by her house before school the next morning because it gave them a chance to discuss it before mass hysteria broke out among the group.   
  
The whole atmosphere of the town was suddenly different, like a new energy field had been built up around Roswell, static making its citizens irritable and distracted. Gossip ran like wildfire through the town and across campus, all the usual stuff about aliens amongst them and government conspiracies. Liz hated to admit that, for the first time, she actually shared their far-fetched ideas.  
  
Luckily, Isabel, Alex and Maria also had first period free, so the group assembled under their usual tree in the quad to talk the situation over. Maria was the first to ask the question on everyone's lips, "Where's Michael?"   
  
Isabel waited to see if anyone offered any information on the whereabouts of their friend, but finally said, "I haven't seen him. I thought he had a shift at the Crashdown last night, but I guess I was wrong."   
  
Liz shook her head, "No, he did. I asked Mitchell to cover when Michael didn't show up. I figured he just wanted to rest."   
  
Max interjected, "Yeah, he does that a lot for someone who should only need two hours sleep."   
  
His dark eyes darted around the circle, "I vote that we find Michael as soon as possible and do this thing. If he didn't turn up for work or for school there must be something wrong."   
  
Maria stifled a snort, "Michael not turning up to school is a reason for concern?"   
  
She knew it was the wrong time to joke about it, but somehow the knots in her stomach seemed to have addled her brain and she couldn't stop herself saying all the wrong things. "Sorry," she murmured.   
  
Isabel shifted impatiently on the grass, "If Michael knew we were all worried about him he would make every effort to prove us wrong. If he can't even do that..."   
  
Max nodded and he felt Liz squeeze his hand tighter in her own. Alex placed a reassuring arm around Maria and Isabel pushed herself into a kneeling position. "Well, let's go, then."   
  
Liz's eyes widened, "Wait, Isabel. What about the article in the paper?"   
  
Isabel shrugged, "What article?"   
  
Liz thought everyone must have heard by now and she wished she didn't have to be the one to break it to the rest of them. She pulled the newspaper from her bag and laid it on the grass in front of Isabel, Maria and Alex. It was a full page spread outlining the quarantine status of Roswell and sketchy details about the supposed flu epidemic. It was full of vague declarations that it would be short-term and that there was nothing to worry about.   
  
They surveyed it in silence for a moment, then Isabel sat back down. "What do you think is going on?"   
  
Max let out a long breath, "Well, we've seen this kind of scare before. The fact that the government are involved immediately makes me suspicious, but...it could make sense."   
  
Isabel pondered the idea for a moment, then Maria broke in, "There's only one way to find out, right? We go to Orchard Park and check it out for ourselves. I mean, if we are stuck here, we have to just take these people at their word. They have us prisoner without any evidence."   
  
Alex folded the paper and handed it back to Liz, "Yeah, unless Michael is the evidence."   
  
He looked at Max, "Is it possible that Michael could have caught this...flu? I mean, I know you don't get sick, but diseases are adapting and evolving all the time. Perhaps you're not immune to this one."   
  
Max nodded, "It is possible. I mean, of all of us, Michael is the one who spends the most time outside Roswell, either in the cave or somewhere. Half the time we have no idea where he's gone."   
  
Isabel shook her head, fervently, "No, this is all too easy. You are just falling into their trap. They have come up with some way to track us down, they know we're here and you're just going to sit back and let them come find us." She stood up, brushing the grass angrily from her trousers. "I say we find Michael and get out of here."   
  
Liz interjected, "Isabel, we won't be able to get out of town. I swung by the outskirts to see what kind of precautions they taking. Practically every law enforcement officer in the state is patrolling there. If you try and leave, you risk being discovered. They'll know you have something to hide."   
  
Isabel studied the faces surrounding her, seemingly oblivious to Liz's warning, "Are you coming or do I have to go by myself?"   
  
Max stood up and pulled Liz to her feet behind him, "Of course we're with you, Issy, but...don't you think you're being a bit hasty? This is panic talking, not common sense. What we need is a clear head. We don't have to rush this, Isabel. Just take a few hours to think it over. We'll go to Michael's and try to get him to agree to our plan. If he knows what is wrong it will be easier to help him, otherwise we can just explore his body structure ourselves."   
  
Somehow, Max's voice had calmed everyone and Isabel's panic was subsiding a little under the influence of his words. He headed in the direction of the jeep and the rest of the group followed, none even sparing a moment to think about what the principal might think of their convenient absence.  
  
**********  
  
Michael had managed to sleep throughout the previous evening and had made it through until about two o'clock in the morning before anything of significance happened. He awoke sweating all over, his body soaked from head to toe and, as he pulled the covers loosely around himself, he couldn't stop shivering. His body convulsed like someone was shooting regular electric shocks through him and it kept him from going back to sleep. He wiped feebly at his forehead and upper lip, but as soon as one film of sweat was gone another took its place. He couldn't find any comfortable position to sleep in and every time he turned over, momentary blackness seized him and he couldn't see anything.   
  
By the time the group arrived at his house, Michael was slouched in a chair in his living room, eyeing the glass of water which he so badly wanted to drink but which only made him dry vomit for about half an hour. He cursed the pain which swirled inside his head and made him queasy with every movement he made.   
  
Max knocked loudly and Michael squeezed his eyes shut against the shrill echo which resounded around the room, before forcing a welcome to his cracked lips, "It's open."   
  
Maria came in after Max, almost pushing him through the door to see her boyfriend, but she instantly regretted being so eager. The person in front of them was nothing more than a shadow of Michael Guerin. His hair was uncombed and his clothes crumpled, deep blue grey gouges ran under his dull blue eyes and the pallor of his skin was enough to make even Nicole Kidman look like she lived on the sun bed. Maria could see beads of sweat standing out on his forehead as she approached the sofa.   
  
Alex said the words which were on everybody's lips, "Michael, you look like hell."   
  
Max sat down opposite his friend, who made no attempt to sit up properly or even look defensive. "You're sick, Michael. Let me help you."   
  
Isabel stepped in, "Let us help you. We know there is a way."   
  
Michael shook his head blankly and gestured towards a slip of paper on the coffee table. Liz picked it up and saw that it was a copy of the posters which had been plastered over town since the morning, explaining the reasons and regulations for the whole isolation of Roswell.   
"You think I have this, right?"   
Michael's eyes searched Max's face. He was always the one whose thoughts and feelings he could read the best and right now, Michael needed all the reassurance he could get. None came, Max was passive.  
  
When the pamphlet had come through the door, Michael had been grateful. He was feeling weaker and weaker with every passing minute and what he wanted more than anything was freedom from responsibility. This flu epidemic, no matter how lethal, took all the worry away from Michael somehow. He could accept that it was a human illness to which he was either vulnerable or which would be flushed out of his system soon by an alien immune system.   
  
He turned his gaze to Isabel and she was momentarily frightened by the resigned expression which glazed his face. It was so unlike Michael to give up, but there was no fight left in him now and she could almost feel him tugging away from her, from Max. She sat down directly opposite him, perched on the table and took his hands in her own.   
  
Fighting to control her quaking voice, she said, "Michael, we have thought of a way to help you. If you allow us in, we can control your body and get rid of the sick cells inside you."   
  
Isabel paused, waiting for the idea to sink in, but Michael made no acknowledgement that she had said anything. She darted a look in Max's direction and was about to repeat herself when Michael spoke, his voice hoarse and dry, "No. This is nothing more than the flu, okay. I don't want you guys getting inside my body, it's..."   
  
He trailed off and Isabel could feel his hands shaking under her grip. Noticing her gaze had suddenly shifted, Michael pulled his hands away from her and wobbled to his feet. "I appreciate the concern, all of you, I really do," his voice dripped with sarcasm, "but it's unnecessary, all right."   
  
He headed for his bedroom, suddenly desperate to be alone, but the sharp movement caused the room to spin and he began to feel his legs turning to jelly under him. An arm grabbed him and drew Michael back to full consciousness, recognising Max's face spinning into focus.   
"Michael? Sit down, okay. Please."   
  
Maria was standing beside him, one arm linked across his back, "Michael, please lie down. Let Max and Isabel help you."   
  
For a moment, Michael was certain that he was going to oblige, weakening into his friends' arms, but grim stubbornness made him shake them off. He didn't want to admit they were right, if they were right he became a victim. As soon as he started to believe he was genuinely sick, everything took on a new spin. He would be in mortal danger, dying from some terrible disease, weakening with every breath he took. As long as he protested that there was nothing wrong, things could go on more or less as usual. Besides, he wanted to believe more than anything that he was right - that he was simply affected by this flu, but that he could fight it off because of his DNA.   
  
"I'm not going to say it again, Max. It is just a bad bout of the flu and I'm gonna be fine. Stop fussing and leave me alone..." he turned to the rest of the group, "...all of you."   
  
His eyes settled firmly on Maria, and he could see the pain he inflicted on her reflected in her blue grey eyes. Just the previous day, she had told him that she loved him, that she was there for him. Now, he was flinging that back in her face, refusing to accept her help or her affection. Part of him felt bad for it, but Michael needed to be strong for only himself, anybody else was just a weight around his neck. He managed to get out into the hall before he leaned against the wall to recover his breath and composure. A minute later he reached his bedroom and closed the door with a resounding thud to remind his friends that they were not welcome here.   
  
Maria stood frozen to her spot on the carpet until Michael was out of earshot when Liz walked over to her and motioned to the sofa. Max kicked at the carpet with one foot, letting out an exasperated sigh. Isabel merely stared at the place on the sofa where their friend had been sitting.   
  
As usual, it was Alex who broke the deafening silence which had descended over the room. "So now what?"   
  
Liz looked to Max for the answer, her brown eyes anxious and searching but it was Isabel who spoke up. "I say we do it without his help. That's all we can do, right?"   
  
Max's face was stony, "What if he is right? What if it is nothing more than the flu?"   
  
Isabel stood up in a flurry, her voice suddenly shriller than usual, "So what, Max?! At least we would know he was okay."   
  
Max said nothing but merely looked at her as if she had asked him if he wanted a glass of orange juice. Liz lessened her grip on Maria, who had caught hold of herself. "Isabel is right, Max. I mean, I don't want either of you in danger, but this might be the only way to know for sure."   
  
Max stood silent for a moment longer and then pointed to the warning leaflet on the table, "Don't you think we are all overlooking something here? What if this is a set up? What if this is exactly what it looks like? Maybe they're playing mind games with us to frighten us or performing some test here to flush us out. If we use our powers, it might just leave a bread crumb trail directly to us."   
  
Liz wasn't sure what to say. She had never expected Max to be so cautious when it came to Michael. He was his best friend and Max had always been prepared to risk his life for him. She ran her hands through her hair. Liz cared about Michael even though they had never been close, but she had to remember that any decision affected and threatened the rest of the group, threatened Max.   
"Max is right. It doesn't make any sense for you to use your powers right now."   
  
Isabel rounded on her, viciously, "What are you saying? That we just leave Michael to die?! If he's sick and we don't help then he'll die. At least we stand a chance of getting out of here alive - all three of us. It's a risk we have to take."   
  
Liz was shocked by Isabel's harsh words, but knowing that it was just fear and love talking, she willed herself to go on. "Isabel, think about it. If this is just a human flu bug, then Michael will get over it. If it isn't, you are only putting all your lives on the line."   
  
Maria jumped up, glaring angrily at Liz. "How can you say that? God, Liz! Could you be any more selfish?"   
  
Liz was taken aback by the savage attack and the bitter tone in Maria's voice. She had never believed her capable of such venom, but the onslaught continued. "You don't care about Michael at all, do you? All you care about is your precious little love nest with Max."  
  
"Maria, that's not true." It was too late, there was nothing Liz could do to take back her words.  
  
"You would rather let Michael die than risk capture to save him, just as long as Max is safe."   
  
Liz opened her mouth to protest, but Isabel jumped in first. "Maria's right. This isn't about Michael at all, this is about you being frightened of losing your precious boyfriend." She turned to Max, "I'm sorry, Max. I love you, you're my brother, but... I'm willing to risk leading them to us if Michael lives. How could we go on living in the comfort of our home when all the time we knew that it was at the expense of our best friend's life?"   
  
Max was quiet, contemplating every word Isabel had spoken. Maria, backing down when she realised that Max was listening, added, "We have everything on our side, Max. They have no idea who you are, but you know them. We can figure out a plan, some way which facilitates our escape. We have the upper hand, the element of surprise. They don't know when you are going to strike so they won't be nearly as prepared as we are."   
  
Her voice grew more desperate as the words tumbled from her mouth. Max looked to Liz then back at Maria and Isabel. Alex stood quietly in the background, sensibly acknowledging that nobody needed any back up from him.   
  
Gripping Liz's hand tightly, Max said sternly, "You're forgetting one thing. There is no 'us' in this, Maria. This has to be between me, Isabel and Michael. We can't place the rest of you in danger if this thing doesn't come off."   
  
His gaze moved urgently to Liz and he could see the tears welling up. He whispered, "I'm sorry, Liz."   
  
Liz looked from Max to Maria, her best friend's face streaked with tears. Deep down, beneath all the hurt she was feeling, Liz knew that Maria felt the same way about Michael that she felt about Max. If she refused to agree, everything Maria said would be true. It was nothing more selfishness to ask Max to stay, to give up his best friend, one of the only other aliens they knew of.   
  
Swallowing back the knot which had formed in the back of her throat, Liz strained, "I know. We have to think about Michael."   
  
As soon as the words left her mouth, they heard a crash come from the other room.  
  
**********  
  
Did you like this part? Please, please, please review! 


	4. Part 4

UNDERCURRENTS - PART 4 (See part 1 for disclaimers)  
By Allegra  
  
Michael was particularly relieved to find that no one had decided to follow him to his room. What he needed more than anything was to be alone, without distractions or the feeling that he was being surveyed like some lab rat. As he sat down on the edge of his bed and rubbed his eyes, trying to get rid of the sluggishness which had lingered round him for the past two days, Michael pondered what Max and Isabel had said. They were right, after all, weren't they? It was the only way to be sure. Part of him regretted knocking them back so quickly, but he knew why he had done it. Call in cowardice, but he didn't want to become a legitimate invalid, anything but that.   
  
Raising his head, Michael could hear the others next door talking in low voices and then Isabel. Maria soon chimed in and the low tones of Liz and Max trying to calm her. He heard his own name mentioned a few times and he knew only too well what they were saying. Words which he really didn't want to hear, words which were perhaps nothing more than home truths which Michael was simply trying to avoid.   
  
It was at that point that the dull ache in his temples suddenly developed into a stabbing pain which moved around his brain, first attacking the front of his head before moving on to violate his brain stem. Paralysis set in momentarily and it was all Michael could do to cling to consciousness for a few moments. When it began to subside a little, he simply leaned forward and cradled his head in his hands, massaging his temples in a vain attempt at willing away the horrific agony.   
  
His breath came in short, ragged gasps, but there wasn't enough air in the room to keep his lungs inflating. With every breath, Michael felt closer to the other side, to relinquishing his hold in the struggle for sanity. Blinding light burned into the back of his eyes when he squeezed them shut and he was suddenly aware of a shrill ringing in his ears. He realised that a humming noise had been in his head for the past few days, but it was only now, when it began to escalate, that he noticed it for the first time.   
  
Michael clutched feebly at his skull, his body heaving with hyperventilation. It took all the will he had to form a single thought at that moment, the thought that he had to make it out to the living room. He had to tell the others that they were right, to help him. He winced as he opened his eyes against the blinding light and reached one trembling hand towards the door knob.   
  
Holding his breath, Michael tried to stand and took one step before the room began spinning around him. 'God, this is it, he thought, this is how I will die.' Instead of the peace he always imagined feeling, Michael felt a wave of panic as the floor spun up to meet his body and as he lay on the floor, all he could feel was the pounding of his heart, then blackness engulfed him.  
  
**********  
  
Nobody moved for a moment in the lounge until Maria whispered, "Michael."   
  
Max was the first to snap out of the slow motion sequence everyone seemed to have been caught in. He ran down the hall and pushed against the door, "Michael!"   
  
It was jammed and as he managed to get his head around the door frame, Max saw Michael's inert body stretched out just inside. "Oh, God. Michael! Michael, talk to me!"   
He pushed harder against the door and it finally gave way, allowing Max enough room to get inside.   
  
Maria was hot on his tail and froze when she saw her boyfriend's lifeless form with one hand extended towards the door handle in a plead for help. Max knelt beside him and felt for a pulse in Michael's neck, while the others looked on impatiently.   
  
Releasing pent up breath, Max nodded and ran one hand through his hair, "He's alive."   
  
Alex pushed his way through and squatted beside Michael, "Let's get him onto the bed."   
  
Maria supported his head while the other two took him under the shoulders and legs and lifted him gently onto the bed. Maria sat beside him, smoothing his hair away from his forehead. "He's burning up," she said.   
  
Liz took the hint and pulled the paralysed Isabel away from the door, "Come with me, Isabel. We'll find some towels and make compresses."   
  
At first Isabel was reluctant to leave, but Max encouraged her out of the room. "Give him some space, Isabel."   
  
Maria took Michael's hand in her own, then, without shifting her gaze from the vulnerable figure beneath her, she asked Max, "Are you going to do it? The examination thing?"   
  
Max stared down at the unusually gaunt and fragile form of his friend, "Not yet. It will drain him of a lot of strength, it takes so much energy. We should give him the chance to recuperate a bit first."   
  
Maria nodded, running her hand lightly down Michael's hollowed cheek.   
  
Liz returned with cool towels and more water, placing them on the bedside table. She wrung the first one out and handed it to Maria who began to wipe sweat from Michael's face and neck, running the damp cloth down his arms. All of them waited silently around the bed, nobody daring to say what was on everyone's mind, that maybe this was the end. As usual, Alex was perspective guy and chimed in with the words they really needed to hear.   
  
"It's murder just sitting around like this. We should be out there doing something."   
  
Maria's voice was tired and thin, "Like what, Alex?"  
  
"I think we should take shifts with Michael until he wakes up and the rest of us should take a serious tour of what is going on outside. If these people are who we think they are then we need to be five steps ahead of them. We should check out their posts, what time their shifts change, who is in charge and what kind of system they have in operation."   
  
Liz agreed, "Max and I will take the north end of town. You and Isabel take the south. I've got my cell phone if anything happens. Maria can stay with Michael."   
  
Turning to her best friend, she said, "Ring me if he wakes up, okay."   
  
Maria nodded and wrung out the cloth again. The others hesitantly made their way out of Michael's room, each face betraying the concern which lay there.  
  
**********  
  
Out at the jeep, Max reiterated the plan and they discussed group tactics for a moment before splitting up. Liz was relieved to be back outside in the open air after the oppressive feeling of Michael's house. Her whole body felt more relaxed for taking deep breaths of fresh air and for being alone with Max. When the others were around it was always hard to say what she really felt, always afraid of saying the wrong thing and creating some big rift between the group. Somehow she knew she could say anything to Max and he wouldn't disapprove. He loved her and understood her so well that he knew her thoughts often before she did. At least she knew they all stood on the same ground where Michael was concerned, no matter how frightening that might be. Yet, Liz still felt unsettled.   
  
She knew that Max was going to do anything he could to help Michael, but the problem was that she sensed he was holding something back. They had all been discovering their powers together but even though Max was fairly open about what he could do, he always baulked at the idea of telling Liz the full extent of dangers it put him in. It wasn't even just him, it was the whole group which could be jeopardised by it. She tried to put those thoughts to the back of her mind and just concentrate on helping as much as possible. She was no use to anyone if she was afraid or not thinking straight. As they sped along the main street, Liz focused her mind on the plan and pulled out a notebook to record anything that they found.  
  
**********  
  
Isabel never thought she would be so relieved to have Alex with her. She had a strange relationship with him, a mixture of boy next door companionship occasionally blurred by a realisation that he thought of her as something more. That revelation had made it hard to be around him for a while, wondering whether just laughing at his jokes or thanking him for the coffee would be completely misconstrued. Today, however, he was everything that Isabel needed him to be. He was both her rock, her sanity, but also her comforter and rationaliser; not once did he try to make a move on her because she was vulnerable and needed closeness.  
  
Alex walked alongside Isabel, taking in her curves, long blonde hair and extraordinary eyes. She was the perfect girl....He stopped himself short, disgusted at his own behaviour. How could he start fantasising about Isabel when her best friend was dying, when all their lives hung in the balance. Secretly reprimanding himself, Alex questioned, "What do you think we'll find?"   
  
Isabel unlinked her arm from his, "I don't know. Soldiers, I guess. We need to stake it out for at least a few hours, see what kind of routine they stick to. That way we can maximise our options if need be."   
  
She frowned against the glaring sunlight, making her expression unreadable. Alex offered her his sunglasses which Isabel took gratefully, "We should be careful that no one sees us. Don't forget we're skipping school here."   
  
Isabel shot him an irritable look, "I can't believe you are thinking about school when Michael is dying."   
  
Alex drew back, defensive, "Hey, we don't know that, all right. Besides, school is no laughing matter. Sure, a detention wouldn't be such a big deal, but they can practically haul our asses back there. No excuse will save us from what Mr Finch has in store for tardy students."   
  
He did his best impression of the high school principal and was relieved to see a smile break across Isabel's face. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be insensitive about Michael. I care, too, you know."   
  
Isabel linked her arm back through his again, holding him tightly, "Yeah, I know. I'm just a bit touchy, that's all."   
  
Suddenly, she stopped short and dragged Alex towards a dumpster, "There they are." Alex craned his neck around the stinking shield and glimpsed two soldiers playing cards in a booth planted directly in the centre of the main street out of town. "Great, at least there are only two."   
  
Isabel nodded, then scanned the street. "Okay, we should get a pretty direct view from the cafe over there. Let's go. I'm dying for a cherry cola."   
  
Alex was only too happy to oblige. The quicker he got back to doing something which resembled normal instead of sneaking around like a pale imitation of James Bond (with infinitely less cool results) the better he would feel.  
  
**********  
  
Maria had been growing increasingly anxious for Michael since the others had left. He had not moved once all the time she had been sitting there and it was all starting to make her nervous. For a while, just after Liz and Max left, his breathing had sped up and he hyperventilated for about ten minutes despite Maria's efforts to soothe him. Now she was even more concerned because he had done nothing, not moved a muscle.   
  
Wringing the cloth out again, she noticed that Michael was no longer sweating as he had been before but had begun to shiver slightly. Taking his hand in her own, she tried talking to him, "Michael? Can you hear me? It's Maria."   
  
He made no movement and Maria couldn't help feeling even more attracted to him than usual in this vulnerable state. "Okay, so I know that you can't talk to me, but you can probably hear me in there, right?"   
Nothing.   
"I guess this gives me the easy ride when it comes to explaining my feelings, doesn't it? You know I love you, Michael. We all do...and we want you back. Come back to us."   
  
She surprised herself when tears began stinging in her eyes and Maria felt that familiar tingling in her nose which always came when she didn't want it to. "Come on, Maria, don't cry." She said the words out loud, hoping that hearing her own voice in the room would snap her out of it. She rummaged around in her bag for a moment, eventually emerging with a vial of cedar oil.   
  
Inhaling deeply, Maria looked down at the still, sleeping form of the guy she loved. Placing her hands either side of his face, she leaned down to him and closed her eyes. Feeling the slow, even breathing against her skin made her heart pound. Never before had Maria been able to savour such proximity with Michael; it felt so strange. Running her fingers down to his neck, she kissed him, slowly and tenderly. It felt so right, she knew that they were meant to be together, but it was only just sinking in that it might never happen. He could die right here on his bed while she watched over him. As her lips lingered against his, Maria felt tears slipping down her cheeks and onto Michael's face.   
  
Suddenly, she felt him shift beneath her and Maria pulled sharply away, wiping the tears away. "Michael?"   
  
She paused for a moment, then leaned close to his chest, afraid that perhaps what she felt was nothing more than a final death throe. Relief washed over her when she realised that she was wrong. At that moment, Michael's eyes opened, weakly taking in his surroundings and the person watching over him. Maria blinked hard, momentarily unsure whether her mind (or her tears) was playing tricks on her.   
"Michael," her voice barely sounded human. His gaze lingered just over her shoulder, as if he couldn't even see her. "Hey, Michael."   
Maria took his head in her hands, forcing him to look at her, "Hey, it's me, Maria."   
  
He lifted one hand to her arm, weakly touching her as if to see if she was real or just a mirage. His brow furrowed in concentration and Michael raised his head a little off the pillow as he tried to focus on her face. Finally, Maria locked his gaze with hers. "You're awake. You had us all pretty scared."   
  
Michael swallowed back the dryness in his throat. Was that really Maria? I thought I was dead. Maybe I am. He could smell her aromatherapy oils and the throbbing in the back of his skull, duller than it was before. "I'm alive."   
  
Maria smiled and ran her hand through his hair, "Of course you're alive!"   
  
Michael didn't know he had said that aloud and he felt a bit stupid for doing so. It was more like a line from some corny movie than real life, but the pain in his head told him that this was anything but a film. If it was, he would be able to jump out of bed and go leaping off some building or chasing trains. His voice was hoarse, "Where's Max? Isabel?"   
  
Maria ignored the pang of resentment she suddenly felt for Isabel, that Michael wanted her instead of his sometime girlfriend. Of course he wanted Isabel and Max, they were the only ones capable of bringing Michael back from the brink of death. "They're patrolling. We decided to take shifts."   
  
Michael managed to nod and moved his hand over Maria's. "Listen, I'm sorry about...you know, what I said before."   
  
Maria felt awkward, but the feeling of Michael actually reaching out to her felt good and she nodded, "I know you are. It's okay."   
  
She smiled then blushed at the idea that only a few moments ago she had been kissing him. His eyes seemed to pierce her very soul as Maria looked down at him, then his hand moved to the back of her neck, pulling her down towards him. His lips locked with hers, tugging her on top of his body, arms circling her waist, then moving up to her face. Maria tensed her body for a moment then melted against him, succumbing to the heated passion which had suddenly been ignited between them.   
  
Michael pulled away momentarily, whispering, "Now, this feels familiar."   
  
Maria choked back a giggle, "I thought you were asleep."   
  
He didn't reply but kissed her again, deeper. Maria had never experienced anything so beautiful, her heart pounded in her chest and, somewhere in her mind, she felt a shimmer of surprise that Michael was capable of feeling something so strongly. Her kisses moved down to his neck as she moved her fingers through his hair and his hands traced the contours of her body, running under her sweater and through her blonde hair.  
  
Just as Maria was becoming oblivious to the fact that there was anything else in the world except her and Michael, his body jerked beneath her, his hands gripping her arm like a vice. Pulling away in fright, Maria saw that Michael's eyes were glazed over, a mixture of frozen pain and paralysis behind the grey.   
  
For a moment she thought he might be playing a game and she laughed uncertainly, "Cut it out, Michael."   
  
There was no response and panic began to build up inside her stomach. She shook him lightly by the shoulders and his eyes suddenly drifted closed. "Michael! Stay with me, Michael. Come on, wake up!" Maria shook him harder, desperate to do anything to keep him conscious. "Please, Michael."   
  
For a moment she thought he was waking up and was trying to say something. Maria leaned closer, just in time to hear him utter her name then let out a long, shuddering breath. She reached out trembling fingers to his neck, not daring to hope that she would find a pulse there. She was right. Maria stood up, fear taking hold of her body. Here she was, alone with a dead person...with Michael. A sliver of colour could be seen beneath his eyelids, empty, focusless eyes mocking the life which had been there moments before. Maria was suddenly aware that she wasn't breathing and took big, gulping gasps, flapping her hands in front of her in some comical impression of a bird. Thoughts ran through her mind but she couldn't catch hold of any of them.   
  
Finally, she reached into her bag and pulled out her cell phone, punching in Liz's number. Within seconds her friend's voice echoed down the receiver, "Isabel?" Maria cleared her closed throat, "Liz, get over to Michael's."  
"Maria? What's happened?"  
"It's Michael...I think, I think he's dead, Liz."  
  
**********  
  
Was it good? Was it bad? Please let me know what you thought! :) 


	5. Part 5

UNDERCURRENTS - PART 5 (See Part 1 for disclaimers)  
By Allegra  
  
Heart beating like a tribal drum. Filling every cell of his body - sending vibrations down his spine like a freakish xylophone. Instrument to the home planet plane. They were calling, their voices distant but so clear. He could feel them...their anger and anguish ran through his limbs, affecting every nerve. Were they angry with him? No, it was different...they were angry for him. Then it was Maria. She was moving towards him, out of the darkness...out of the stars. Wait, no, she was walking away, drifting into the shadows, first her blonde hair faded then her pale skin was consumed by the black as if some creeping deformity had claimed her.   
  
As she went, he could hear the pulsing beat in his head subsiding, blessed relief from the pain which had wracked his body. It slowed, first slamming against the cage of his bones then pacing itself like train slowing into the station until he felt it reach its destination. Relaxing into a new plane, his body was at rest....Everyone was here.  
  
Out of the blackness ahead, he saw Isabel's long hair, loose and flowing against the curve of her shoulder. Michael felt Isabel's hand on his shoulder, her gaze wandering from him back to the gloom ahead. Another figure had begun to emerge. It was Max...but his face was strangely distorted, cheekbones hollowed with streaks of charcoal and eye sockets sunken. Then he entered the light, reaching out to Michael.   
  
But it wasn't a trick of the light, Max's face was little more than a skull, skin sallow and papery. As he reached one hand out, Michael could see the blue tinge of death spreading from his fingers. His mouth was opening, trying to communicate something, but no sound came out, eyes travelled desperately from Isabel to Michael and then back to Isabel again. His gaze locked onto hers and as Michael looked to her, he could see that her expression was icy and passive. Max was pleading her to do something but she wasn't doing a thing to help him. She watched blankly as he sank to his knees and then to the ground, dying right in front of their eyes.  
  
Michael moved to Isabel, suddenly unable to move with any speed. She turned to face him, not even flinching at the sight of her own brother dead in the earth at her feet. He tried to form words but none would come, Michael's throat was parched. Then, with speed he never thought imaginable, Isabel's hand darted out to him and reached into his chest as though it were dough. Michael's back arched with the pressure of her hand inside his body and he looked down to see his own blood stretching out across his T-shirt. Isabel's face was a frightening mask of passivity as she looked into Michael's eyes and then pulled her hand free, blood staining her arm and dripping from her fingertips.  
  
**********  
  
"Maria!"   
  
Max's voice was barely the shout he had thought he would utter, it barely registered as a whisper. His mind was racing faster than the rest of his could keep up with; there was a pain in his body which set in before Liz had even got the call from Maria. Max had known, he had felt Michael dying and then a twisting, agonising pain in his chest as if someone had wrenched his heart out with brute force.   
  
Skidding to a halt in the bedroom doorway, he took in the scene of Michael's cadaverous face and then Maria's tear-stained cheeks when she turned to him, her hands still clutching at her boyfriend's hand as if trying to will him back to life.   
  
Liz caught up with him, running into the room before she turned back to Max. "Max! Max, do something!"   
  
Max shook off the paralysis which had caught him, charging to the bed and straddling his friend. He placed shaking hands on Michael's temples, forcing images of their childhood, of their years of friendship into his mind.   
Straining against the fear and knowledge that this was his best friend lying dead under him, Max trained his mind back onto a single track. "Come on, Michael. Come back to us."   
  
The images began slowly, tinged with consciousness of what he was doing, then they came faster until Max was no longer aware of the room around him, of the two frightened figures standing beside him and the cold body lying on the bed. He was absorbed into the pictures, feeling every touch and smelling the scent of leaves, the sensation of walking through the desert terrain and the sun beating down on his head. He searched for Michael, silently calling to him, but there was no response. Then, Max could feel a dull pain and confusion.   
  
He moved towards it until he recognised Michael's presence and the connection was made. Tugging his energy from afar towards him, Max used all his strength to will him back to reality. The images fell together, amassing into a solid construct and then a home, Michael's home and then Max felt himself snapping back into consciousness, still hearing his friend's heartbeat resounding in his ears.   
  
He opened his eyes, focusing intently on Michael's pale face, "Michael?"   
  
Maria hadn't even noticed how hard she was gripping Liz's arm until she felt an ache in her hand muscles and noticed her best friend's hand turning a shade of crimson. She took one step towards the bed, hardly daring to hope for what she wanted to see until she saw Michael flinch, a muscle flexing his hand and his head lolled to one side.   
  
Max took his face in his hands and said, "Michael, wake up."   
  
Michael's eyes opened slowly, registering what was going in, suddenly disorientated. Then, Maria was beside him, holding his hand, "Hey."   
  
Max let his body sag back against Liz who had wrapped her arms around his shoulders.   
  
Maria felt awkward all of a sudden, uncomfortable with the unusual silence which Michael had created. He didn't say a word but simply watched her as though she were the first person he had ever seen. His grey eyes traced over her face, down her neck then rested on their hands interlocked, then back up to her face again. She had never seen him so vulnerable, so quiet and pensive. It was almost as if this wasn't even Michael anymore but some impostor. For a moment she entertained the idea that that might be the answer, that Max had brought some other creature back from another plane, leaving the real Michael somewhere in a different dimension, but she stopped herself.   
  
He had just come back from the dead having been seriously ill, it wasn't exactly unusual for someone to be exhausted at the very least, certainly not up to idle chit-chat. 'Pull yourself together, Maria. Give him some space. He just needs support and comfort right now.' Feeling the maternal instinct rising in her, Maria forced herself to remember that too much molly-coddling would not be received gratefully by Michael, regardless of how sick he might have been. 'Just take it slow, get him a glass of water.'  
  
She was just about to ask him what he wanted when a commotion was heard outside then Isabel arrived, breathless and flushed, followed shortly by Alex who was similarly out of breath. She looked first at Michael then at Max, "What happened? I felt...something."   
  
Her voice was trembling, partly from fear but also from trying to catch her breath. Max nodded, "He's okay."   
  
Maria gave a short laugh, "Yeah, he just came back from the dead."   
  
Isabel looked back at Michael, his face still turned away from her towards Maria. "Will he...you know, be okay?"   
  
Max was about to reply when Michael said, weakly, "I'll be fine, Issy."   
  
Liz squeezed Max's shoulder, reassuringly and glanced at Alex. It seemed that they were the only two with rational heads right now. There was an unspoken agreement between them that it was their job to keep the group together and sane. Alex put a hand out to Isabel, but she made no sign that she wanted comfort. Liz's voice was low, "Perhaps Alex and I should go back to the stake out. It might be our only chance to get Michael out of here or find out what is making him sick."   
  
Maria nodded, "I'm staying with him." It wasn't a query.   
  
Max nodded and looked at Isabel, "Isabel. Maybe you should go, too."   
  
She shook her head, fervently, "No way. What if something happens again?"   
  
Max had been thinking exactly the same thing, but he didn't want to say it out loud. "It won't. I'll be here."   
  
Michael shifted suddenly on the bed, "No, Max. You should go, too. Help Liz." Max was about to protest, but Michael added, "Please." His voice was barely audible, but somehow it was a request he couldn't refuse.   
  
Getting up, Max ran one hand around Liz's waist, pulling her close to him. He needed her more than ever right now, she was his force of sanity when everything had gone into a spin and, as always, she hadn't let him down. Ushering Isabel out of Michael's room, they headed towards their respective positions on the outskirts of town.  
  
Maria stayed with Michael, rambling about what would befall them when they went back to school if the world didn't end beforehand. It was disconcerting the way that his eyes never left her face, as if trying to remember who she was or what she meant to him.   
  
Eventually, she exhausted all topics of conversation and Maria was forced to sit in silence, subject to the weirdest kind of investigation. "Can I get you anything? A glass of water? Food? Galaxy burger? Human genes?"   
  
She instantly regretted the joke when Michael didn't even smile. He closed his eyes for a moment, "I'm just really tired."   
  
Maria didn't like the idea of letting him sleep; it may be off putting to have him watching her, but at least then she knew he was alive, but the dark rings under his eyes told her that she was just being over cautious. He probably just needed a really long rest before all the excitement of government conspiracies and running away began. "Sure."   
  
Maria got up to leave, but Michael wouldn't let go of her hand, "Stay with me?"   
  
Smiling, she sat back down, then lay alongside him, snuggling up close and wrapping one arm around him. "Everything's going to be fine, okay. You are going to be fine."   
  
She wasn't sure if Michael heard because he didn't answer and, within moments, she could hear his even, steady breathing.  
  
**********  
  
Max and Liz had barely said a word since that morning, first too worried about Michael then even more worried about Michael. Whatever conflict there might have been over whether to use their powers to heal him, Michael's death had taken away any doubt as to what they should do. It was only when the real horror of everything that was happening had begun to sink in had Liz felt it the right time to talk to Max.   
  
She reluctantly began to pull herself out of his arms where she had been contentedly settled, but something told her that it was better to distance herself. Somehow lying in Max's arms made it easier to envisage what it would be like for him to be gone, to not have these intimate moments when nothing in the world seemed to matter. "Max?"   
  
He rubbed his cheek lightly against her hair, "Mmm." He remained in the reclining position when she sat up. "What is it?"   
  
Liz suddenly felt her stomach recoil at the prospect of saying what she desperately needed to know. He looked so gorgeous like that, his face bathed by the dusk sunlight, his eyes a liquid shade of green which reflected the light like a million stars. She fiddled nonchalantly with the lock on the glove box, trying to gather her rapidly evaporating thoughts.   
  
Max shifted into a more upright position in the seat, looking at Liz with concern. "What's the matter?"   
  
Liz resented ever starting this, now Max was genuinely worried, thinking she had something terrible to tell him when it was just her own selfish fears for her own happiness. She leaned over to him, running one hand over his chest, "No, it's nothing important, I just..." She paused and took a moment to delve deep into the pools of his eyes, "Do you ever think about the future?" She felt Max tense slightly, "I mean...our future?"   
  
He looked away, out towards the city limits where two soldiers were still patrolling. For a moment, Liz thought he wasn't going to answer her, then, "I try not to, Liz."   
  
The way that Max said her name suddenly made her pull away, as if it were bitterness he was feeling towards her for broaching the subject. "So do I, but sometime, sometime we are going to have to face it."   
  
Max suddenly turned to face her, his eyes filled with pain Liz had hoped she would never have to see. "Michael tells me I love this world too much, that I should let go, cut the ties in preparation for...going home."   
  
Liz nodded, trying to look like she understood and agreed, but her heart wasn't in it. "If that's what you want."   
  
Max watched his girlfriend, her dark hair creating a veil over her dipped lashes, but he didn't need to see her eyes to know that she was near to tears. He reached out one hand to cup her cheek, "It's not what I want, Liz, but...I don't know what I should be doing."   
  
Liz cast a bitter glance up at the sky, the place which her mind used to escape to and fill with any fantasy she wanted. Now, all it held was the hard truth that somewhere up there was Max's destiny...but not hers. "God, how did this happen, Max?! How did my life go from what it was...to this? Why?"   
  
Max wished there was something he could say, but that was the worst thing about this conversation, the very reason why he never brought it up. There were no easy answers, no comforting words or kisses which could wipe it from their minds. Some days he was certain that he wouldn't go back to the home planet if the chance came but other times he was torn equally between what he wanted with Liz and his instincts. Now was one of those moments.  
  
Whenever a crisis came along, one which set them all in a spin because nobody knew whether it meant the end for all of them, it reminded Max that he didn't belong here. No matter where he went, what he did or who he tried to become, this 'thing' would always be with him, holding him back and tugging him back home. But, how could he tell all of this to Liz? How could he be the one to tell her what she already knew? If he uttered the words, they might just be the one thing she couldn't support him through.   
  
Pulling her towards him, Max squeezed her close, inhaling the familiar aroma of her hair and the heady scent of her suede jacket. "I wish I had the answers."   
  
Liz softly said, "I feel terrible, Max."  
  
"So do I."  
  
"No, I mean...sometimes I lie awake at night and think about how good it would be if, if your people never came, or...if the communicator was destroyed or something."   
  
She pulled away from Max, certain that he wouldn't want to hold her after hearing a confession like that, but his face showed her nothing but love. "Sometimes I do, too. At least it would make the decision for me...and we could be together. But then I stop and think about Isabel, then about what Michael has to stay for and I see how selfish I am."   
  
Liz shook her head, "It's not selfish, Max, it's love. You think about them all the time, they're your family."   
  
She leaned in and kissed him tenderly. Max shifted towards her and pulled her back down onto the seat beside him, his hands moving up and down her back. They were quickly interrupted by shouting coming from the guard post and Max hastily helped Liz up, groping for the binoculars. Liz's voice sounded breathy, "What is it? What can you see?"   
  
Max adjusted the focus again, "It looks like some kind of changing of the guard. Two more guards have arrived. They are all going inside the booth....It looks like they're signing some book, a log book."   
  
Liz craned her neck to see where Max was looking, "So whose on duty?"   
  
Max put down the binoculars, "No one, by the looks of things."   
  
Liz quickly jotted something down in her notebook, "So, I guess that is our opening. It's nearly eight o'clock now and we reckoned they were working in four hour shifts."   
  
Max nodded, "We'll cross check with Isabel and do the same stakeouts tomorrow. Hopefully we are right. The quicker we get Michael out of town the better."   
  
He started up the engine and reversed quietly out of the scrub area which they had been hiding in. "Let's get back to Michael's. Ring Isabel and let her know."   
Liz pulled her cell phone out of her bag and began punching in the numbers.  
  
**********  
  
Within the half hour everyone had congregated back at Michael's house where they exchanged the information they had discovered. It was a great relief to them all to discover that the shifts were fairly likely to be in four hour sections, and both parties had seen the changeover in which there was about two minutes when nobody was on guard. There had been no abnormal activity to suggest anyone knew that Max had used his powers either.   
  
Isabel gave a sigh of relief, "Thank God. At least now we know what our options are."   
  
Max nodded, somberly. He knew there was something else wrong here, that there was something they hadn't thought of, but he decided not to aggravate the situation until he had more facts.   
  
"Yes. I think we should all get some rest. Whatever is going on out there, we need to be on the ball, ready for anything."   
  
Alex ran one hand through his dishevelled hair and nodded, "Yeah, I should really be getting home. If my parents find out that I wasn't at school and then I come home late, I'm not going to live until tomorrow."   
  
He glanced at Isabel, waiting to see her reaction. He had felt the anxiety pouring out of her all day and he knew that his presence had made it an easier burden to bear. If she asked him to stay he would...he would do anything to make her smile again.   
  
Instead, she patted his knee lightly, "You go home. Thanks, Alex."   
  
As he grabbed his coat, Alex couldn't help but feel a little upset that she hadn't been even more grateful. He understood that she was worried about Michael but there was always a part of him which hoped she would want or need something more from him.   
  
Max turned to Isabel, but she read his expression before he could speak, "I'm not leaving until I know how Michael's doing."   
  
Max nodded and she moved down the hallway to her friend's bedroom with Max and Liz in tow. She pushed open the door, pulling a face when it creaked on its hinges.   
  
Michael was fast asleep, his head turned away from them, one hand hanging off the bed and the other still holding onto Maria. She had her head resting on his shoulder, but she stirred when she heard the door open. Frowning against the light from the hallway, Maria motioned outside and carefully got up from the bed, tentatively extricating her hand from Michael's. He didn't stir and she checked his pulse quickly before slipping from the room. Isabel looked back at Michael again before shutting the door to give him some peace.  
  
Maria went to the kitchen and poured water into the kettle jug.   
  
Isabel asked, "How has he been all day?"   
  
Maria hugged her arms around herself, shuddering at the cold draught which ran through the house. "He's been kind of quiet, you know. I don't mean...I know he died and everything but...it has just been kind of weird."   
  
Isabel's eyes searched Maria's face for more information, then Max added, "But he's been okay? Physically, I mean?"   
  
"I guess. The sweating stopped but his heart rate is still a bit low. He has been sleeping pretty much since you guys left."   
  
Liz moved towards her best friend, suddenly aware of how drained Maria appeared. How could she blame her? If the same thing had happened to Max, she didn't know what she would do. "Maria, why don't you go home? I'll take over for you."   
  
Maria shook her head, reaching for the kettle jug and pouring boiling water over the instant coffee granules. "No, I want to stay here...in case he needs me."   
  
Isabel gave her a strange look, and Maria swallowed a sip of coffee quickly, ignoring the burning on her tongue and throat. "I know it sounds stupid, but...he was looking at me really strangely earlier. You know, he wouldn't let go of my hand and he kept staring at me as if he didn't know what was happening. It was like...it was like he had to keep checking that I was real."   
  
She shook her head, "I don't know, I just really think he wants me here."   
  
Liz ran her hand lightly over Maria's arm, hoping to provide some reassurance or comfort. Max went to Isabel, "Issy, go home, okay. I'll stay here with Michael and I swear I'll let you know if anything happens."   
  
Liz glanced at Max, "What about your parents?"  
  
"They're out of town for a few days. They won't be back until tomorrow morning." Turning back to Isabel, he said, "Please, Isabel. We need you at full strength tomorrow."   
  
For a moment, he wasn't sure if she would back down, but after shooting a look in the direction of Michael's bedroom, she nodded. "Okay, but you have to swear you'll tell me if anything happens...anything!"   
  
Max promised and walked her to the door, "Take the jeep. I'll see you in the morning if nothing happens."   
  
She gave him a brief hug before grabbing the keys and heading home.  
Max walked slowly inside, reluctant to return to the oppressive atmosphere which was contained indoors. It was like watching someone dying, waiting for the final death throes to set in so that everyone could get on with their lives. The waiting was what made it all so hard, the knowledge that there was nothing anybody could do until they found out what was making Michael sick and what the government wanted. Nobody knew what they were monitoring, which was the truth and which the lies. Did they know about Max, Isabel and Michael, just biding their time or were they just containing a flu epidemic?   
  
Max peered through the front window and saw Maria sitting on the sofa, her hands over her eyes and Liz rocking her. He figured it was best to leave them alone for a little while. Clearly all the stress was taking its toll on Maria and Liz was the only one capable of comforting her or picking up the pieces. Poor Liz, she seemed to be the touchstone for everyone at the moment, carrying the burden of his fears and Maria's. Even Alex went to her for guidance and a sympathetic ear.   
  
**********  
  
Maria let herself sink against Liz, the tears tumbling uncontrollably, "I'm just so scared, Liz."   
  
Liz stroked her hair, "Shhh, I know, I know, but it's going to be all right. Oh, Maria."   
  
Her friend sobbed her heart out for about ten minutes straight until she finally accepted the tissue Liz offered her and sat back against the cushion, stuffing one on her lap as a kind of comforting shield. "God, I'm so sorry, Liz. You've got your own problems to worry about, you don't need me crying like a baby."   
  
Liz laughed, "Hey, you're the one person who can get away with soaking my suede jacket!"   
  
Maria's mouth opened in shock, "Oh, Liz, look what I've done. God, I'm sorry."   
  
"Would you stop apologizing?! How many times have you been around to pick up the pieces after me and Max had problems? Its about time you got your share. I'm just sorry we can't make it official with some Ben and Jerry's back at the Crashdown."   
  
Maria managed a laugh, but Liz knew that no joke was going to lift her out of her mood. What her friend really needed was a deep heart to heart and get all her feelings off her chest. "I know how you feel. I really do. There have been times when I truly thought I was going to lose Max, when it looked like we would never find a cure or a way to bring him back. It tore me apart inside like I'd never imagined possible."   
  
She studied Maria, unsure whether this was helping or not, but her friend raised her eyes in expectation, so Liz continued, "You remember when we talked about how it felt to kiss them...the way you kind of connected with every cell of your body?" Maria nodded mutely. "When Max was sick I felt the same way. I mean, I couldn't feel the exact pain in the way that Isabel can, but there was this aching inside, like a part of me was dying with him. I didn't know if I would be able to go on living if he wasn't with me."   
  
Tears started forming in her eyes as she forced herself to go on. Just thinking about what might have been and even the conversation she had shared with Max only a short while ago made the memories of that pain all the more clear. Maria's eyes were welling up too and they laughed weakly before hugging each other, "Now look at me! I'm as bad as you."   
  
Maria laughed again, "So much for you owing me. I guess you've just knocked yourself back a notch."   
  
Liz wiped roughly at the tears and Maria handed her back one of her tissues. "Thanks, Liz. You're such a good friend to me."   
  
Liz squeezed her hand tightly, "I'll make us hot chocolate."   
  
She walked over to the kitchenette just in time to see Max emerge from the shadows. "Max! You frightened me!"   
  
"Sorry." He looked a bit sheepish for a moment, "I didn't want to interrupt."   
  
He wanted to add that he hadn't been eavesdropping but that wasn't exactly the truth. It had been getting a bit chilly outside and he had come in just in time to hear Liz talking about her feelings for him.   
  
As usual, Liz decided to be the mistress of tact and simply asked, "Do you want hot chocolate?"   
  
Max sauntered over to her, "No. I'll just drink Maria's coffee if she's not going to have it."   
  
Liz nodded, tucking silky dark locks behind one ear. "Someone should probably go check on Michael."   
  
Max took a sip of the bitter liquid, grateful that it was cool enough to take a big swig. He hadn't realized how little he had eaten or drunk since that morning and it was suddenly all catching up with him. "I'll go."  
  
Tiptoeing into Michael's room, Max twisted the blind open a bit in order to check that he was all right. The light cast cool blue lines across the bedspread and his friend's face as Max sat on the side of the bed. Michael's breathing was getting increasingly rapid until Max could see his chest straining to get enough air. He put out one hand and shook him lightly by the shoulder, "Michael? Hey, wake up!"   
  
A second later, Michael's eyes snapped open and he narrowed his eyes against the moonlight, staring up at Max's face. "Hey, Michael. It's me, it's Max. Are you okay?"   
  
Michael released the pent up air in his lungs and closed his eyes for a second. "Max? You were...are you here?"   
  
"I'm right here. I'm with you."   
  
Michael lifted one hand feebly to his face, rubbing absently at his eyes, "Oh, it was just a dream. You were there...you and Isabel."   
  
Max's concern grew. "A vision?"   
  
Michael paused, looking at Max as if he were about to tell him something but stopped. "No. Just a dream. It was nothing."   
  
Max was about to probe further when Maria came in, "I heard voices. Is Michael okay?"   
  
Michael focused on her as she came over to the bed and sat down opposite Max. "Hey, you're awake. How are you feeling?"   
  
Michael nodded, "Just a bit of a headache."   
  
Maria passed her palm over his forehead, "Well, you're not hot."   
  
She turned to Max, "Is it worth giving him anything? Pills?"   
  
Max shook his head, "We'd better not risk it. We don't know what effect they might have."   
  
Liz's shadow darkened the doorway and she passed Maria a mug of steaming hot chocolate with marshmallows floating on the top. She gave Max a glass of water for Michael, then smiled at the patient, "You're the perfect guy, Michael. You've got ice cream in the freezer and mini marshmallows in your cupboards."   
He smiled weakly and took a sip of the water while Max propped him up.   
  
A little while later, Michael had improved a little. He was sitting up in bed and talking to the other three, first about what they had found out and then on more general topics. For a short time, Maria could kid herself that there was nothing wrong, that the last seventy-two hours had all been some horrible nightmare from which she had just woken up. It wasn't to last long though.   
  
They had been jovially discussing who was dating who at school, which was a real eye-opener for Max and Michael who never paid any attention to such things, when it happened. Michael turned a sickly shade of grey and started convulsing. Max was the first to catch him, grabbing his arms and lying him flat on the bed. "Liz! Help me hold him down!"   
  
Maria jumped up, "Oh my God, Max! What's happening?"   
  
Max was struggling to keep Michael from hurting himself, "I don't know! Damn it! Come on, Michael!"   
  
Michael's eyes slid shut, a glimmer of colour showing through his nearly closed lids. The convulsions continued for a few minutes until they began to subside and Max sat back on the bed while Liz applied cool towels to Michael's forehead, who began to swim back into consciousness, mumbling something incoherently. Max leaned closer, "What is it, Michael?"   
  
Michael reached for the edge of the bed, "I feel sick." He doubled up, clutching his stomach.   
  
Maria jumped up, "I'll get a bucket."   
  
She brought it back just in time as Michael began retching over the side of the bed while Liz wiped the sweat from his brow. The vomiting went on for about twenty minutes until Michael had purged his body of everything. However, he dry retched for another twenty minutes until exhaustion took over. Unable to even find the energy to turn over in the bed, Michael lay with his head leaning over the frame, one arm flung out, sweat running from every pore. Max sat beside him holding the bucket while Liz wrung out the towels again and handed them to Maria.   
  
The room was a pitiful sight, towels and flannels strewn about the floor and chairs, the four figures numb and exhausted on the floor and bed. Maria supported Michael's head and tried to make him drink some more water, but at first he refused. "Come on, Michael. You need fluids. Don't fight it."   
  
He forced down a sip or two before resting his head back against the pillow, his breath coming in ragged gasps. He covered his face with his hands and Maria realized that he was crying. She pulled his hands away, wrapping them around her, "Shhh, Michael, shhh. It's okay. It's okay."   
  
He buried his face against her, whispering, "I can't do it. It hurts so much."   
  
Maria felt the floodgates opening again, "I know it does. I know, but we're going to make you better. Just hang in there, hang on for me, Michael."   
  
It frightened her to see him so vulnerable, it was so unlike him to show any weakness, even when he was sick. If Michael gave up, what else could they do? Everything depended on his will to live, he couldn't let go. She stayed with him, holding him until he fell asleep.  
  
**********  
  
I hope you're enjoying it - please let me know what you think! :) 


	6. Part 6

UNDERCURRENTS - Part 6 (See part 1 for disclaimers)  
By Allegra  
  
Michael had realized this must be some kind of vision when all the pain left his body, the cramps dissolving in his stomach and the nausea which had gripped him began to dissipate. He saw a man talking in a crowd full of people and as he moved from table to table the shrill sound in Michael's ears gradually grew louder until he could barely stand it. Suddenly it all stopped and he found himself standing in the desert with Isabel again. Max was nowhere to be seen and Michael felt uneasy, he couldn't feel Isabel's presence.   
  
It was like someone had taken her soul away and left an empty shell of what she looked like. Her eyes were dead and shallow, incapable of showing any of the emotion Michael was so used to seeing there. They stood staring at each other for a long while until Isabel brought one hand up to his chest, her fingers moving lightly over the cotton of his shirt. Michael felt his flesh tingle with her touch until her fingers grew cold and a sharp pain made him gasp. Looking down, he saw that Isabel had made a thin but deep incision in his chest with her bare fingers, as sharp and exact as any scalpel. As the blood trickled over his skin, Michael's eyes snapped open.  
  
Max was by his side in an instant. "Michael? What was it? A vision?"   
  
For a moment, Michael wasn't sure what had happened, but then the images came flooding back. First Isabel, but then the man at the beginning. He knew that place, some of those people were familiar.   
  
Max's voice was urgent, "Michael? Talk to me."   
  
Focusing on his friend, Michael began slowly, "I don't know. It was some place...somewhere we've been."  
  
"In the desert?"  
  
"No, in town. I think there's something there, something that's making me sick."   
  
"Okay, think hard, Michael. Where is it? Describe it to me."   
  
Michael closed his eyes, frantically searching for the images he had seen, "It's a big room, there are people and tables of food. There's that woman, you know, that woman who is always talking to Valenti."  
  
"What does she look like?"  
  
"Blonde hair, expensive clothes. I can smell her perfume. That really strong stuff."   
  
Max glanced at Liz who was clicking her fingers, "Isn't that the mayor's wife?"   
  
Max looked at Michael for verification, and he nodded. "Yeah, it was the town hall."   
  
Maria jumped up, "Then we have to get over there."   
  
Max held one hand up in protest, "Wait, Maria. One step at a time. We have to have a plan. We can't just go marching into the town hall and search it for God knows what. Besides, we have to call Isabel and Alex."   
  
Maria sat back down, impatiently. "Okay, I'll ring Isabel and get her over here."   
  
She marched from the room and Liz looked at Michael, "You're sure that's what you saw?"   
  
He nodded, "Pretty sure."   
  
Max took a deep breath. What they were going to do was no small matter, they were breaking into the town hall.   
  
Michael read his mind, "Maxwell, you've done worse."   
  
Max smiled, then said, "Yeah. We've still got a few more hours before dawn. We might be able to get in with Alex's help and get out before anyone arrives. Michael, do you have any idea what we're looking for?"   
  
Michael was about to say no when he remembered the ringing noise. "There was one thing. It was like a ringing sound, really high pitched. I've been feeling it since I started to get sick. It began like headaches, but it has got worse."   
  
Liz queried, "You mean, like someone was stepping up the power?"   
  
"Exactly."   
  
Max looked at Liz, "Do you think you know what it is?"   
  
Liz felt suddenly unsure now that everyone was relying on her word. "Well, I might be wrong, but it could be one of those sonar devices used to flush out the enemy. During World War II, there were tests carried out to create a weapon controlled entirely by sound. Maybe they found one for aliens."   
  
Max nodded, "That would explain why everyone is being kept in Roswell."   
  
Michael noted, "Yeah, but that doesn't explain why it is me. Why not you and Isabel, too?"   
  
Max frowned, frustrated with the whole situation. "Well, right now it is the best we have to go on. Let's just assume that we're looking for some kind of sound device and disarm it."   
  
Liz pulled on her jacket when she heard Maria return, "Are they on their way?"   
  
Maria nodded. "Yeah, you guys go ahead. I'll stay with Michael."   
  
Liz nodded and motioned Max towards the door.   
  
**********  
  
Max, Liz, Isabel and Alex were congregated beneath the oppressive structure of the town hall, its shadows looming over them and engulfing half the street. Nobody had ever liked it very much despite its Gothic style architecture, simply reminding the youth of Roswell that the stuffy people who met inside were their enemy in everything, particularly to Max and Isabel. It was in this building that the meetings were always held to discuss various military propositions, meetings to which, ironically, no civilian of Roswell was actually allowed to attend.   
  
Now, here they were about to break into the place and Liz was beginning to wish that she had gone to a few more town functions with her parents. At least then she would be able to help the others find their way around the rooms. Max took her hand and pulled towards the side of the building where the streetlights could not highlight their trespassing and where there was always a cracked window pane or two for easy entry. Isabel stepped up to large bins lined up along the wall beneath their best option and gestured to Alex to give her a leg up.   
  
"I'll do it."   
  
She placed one hand directly over the pane of glass and Liz watched in awe as the sheet began to shimmer in front of her eyes, gradually rippling into nothing until Isabel pulled her palm away, satisfactorily.   
  
"There!" she whispered, and levered herself up onto the window sill and through the hole.   
  
A moment later, the whole group was inside and Max immediately took the lead towards the main doors which swung open into the lobby of the hall. He was just about to step through them when Alex pulled him back roughly back by the shoulder, "Wait!" Max turned to him in surprise, "Security systems. That room is bound to be a land mine."   
  
Max sighed, "Well, what are we supposed to do?"   
  
Alex gestured to a smaller door marked off to the left, "There's bound to be some other way around, up some back staircase."   
  
Isabel looked at him as if he told her some incredibly lame joke, "Can't you just disarm the system?"   
  
Alex offered her a gentlemanly smile barely masking sarcasm. "There are guards on duty here. Any abnormal activity will bring them running over here. We wouldn't stand a chance."   
  
Liz moved to back up her friend, "Alex is right. There's bound to be another route. Let's try through here."   
  
She moved towards the small door on the right hand side of the room and slipped cautiously through it. She was relieved to find the room empty on the other side and a narrow flight of stairs running steeply up one wall. Max went up before her, pushing open another door at the top which turned directly onto a further flight of stairs. Alex was just starting to think they must have launched into the Faraway Tree instead of the town hall when Max pushed open a hatchway which opened out onto a precarious set of beams above the main hall.   
  
He could just about glimpse the bell above them and taking Liz's hand in his own, he maneovered from one beam to the next, then turned back to Isabel, "You two stay here and keep watch. The less people up this ladder the better."   
  
Liz had to agree with that, she didn't relish the idea of having to climb it when the rungs looked like they were about to give way any moment. Fortunately, she was saved the worry because Max started up the first step, "Hold the bottom of the ladder for me. I'll check the top out."   
  
Liz nodded and attempted to say 'okay' but the words died in her throat when she saw through a crach between two beams which looked directly through the main hall floor three storeys below them. Just don't look down, Liz, and you'll be fine. She stared up at Max who had nearly reached the top rung and had begun surveying the wooden roof covering the bell.   
  
She hissed up to him, "Can you see it?"   
  
He looked down at her but either he didn't answer or Liz couldn't hear him and she though it best to keep her mouth shut. Liz glanced over at Isabel and Alex who seemed miles away on the other side of the roof, Max's sister's mouth pursed and anxious. Alex had all the fingers of one hand firmly curled around the frame of the door while his other hand clung to Isabel, whether to avoid her falling or him Liz wasn't sure. A creaking noise and a shudder on the ladder told her that Max was on his way down, and she was momentarily relieved to feel his hand cover hers as he reached the beams below. "Have you got it?"   
  
He opened his free hand and showed Liz a small rectangular device with a red light blinking on the top of it. "I hope this is it."   
  
He helped her cross back over the beam, steadying her when she looked down and began to panic. Isabel grabbed her hand when she reached the other side and pulled them both to safety. Alex was clearly quite worried and didn't even inquire about the device, "Let's get out of here."   
  
Nobody argued and they scrambled quickly back down the staircases and slipped back through the window they had entered by. By the time the last person had made it back onto the sidewalk, their hearts were pounding nineteen to the dozen. Max showed them the device and handed it to Alex who turned it over in his hand for a moment.   
  
Isabel leaned over his shoulder, "Are you sure this isn't a part of their security system?"   
  
Alex shook his head, "No way. This kind of technology is not for main security systems, its much too advanced."   
  
Liz tugged at Alex's arm, "Come on, you two. We need to get as far away from here as possible."   
  
Max glanced out at the first streaks of red morning light advancing across the sky. "Yeah, it's breaking daylight."   
  
They reached the jeep and headed back to Michael's house, half relieved and half apprehensive as to whether it was the cure for their friend or not. It didn't take long to find out.   
  
**********  
  
As soon as the group burst into the lounge, they could hear the sound of a scuffle from the bedroom. Max opened the door to see Michael vomiting into a bucket, his body heaving with the effort while Maria tried to soothe him and keep him cool. Her eyes were hopeful, even desperate when she turned to Max, "Did you find it?"   
  
"I think so. When did the vomiting start?"  
  
"About five minutes ago."   
  
Max nodded, "That was when we started heading back here. Whatever this thing is, it is got to be what is making Michael sick."   
  
Michael leaned back against Maria for a moment, catching his breath while she wiped at his forehead. He breathed, "Destroy it."   
  
Alex, who had joined Max in the doorway, pointed out, "Won't that alert whoever is doing this? As soon as they find out that their trap is disarmed they'll be out here actively looking for you."   
  
Michael closed his eyes, exhaustion taking over his body and Max said quietly, "I think that is just a risk we're going to have to take. We stand a better chance of eluding them if Michael is well."   
  
Liz and Isabel came in and sat down, Isabel running her hands over the sleek metal object in her hand. It was hard to believe that such a small piece of equipment could have such devastating effects on someone.   
  
Michael's body stiffened in Maria's arms and she turned her attention back to the patient, "Michael, are you okay?"   
  
He held his head in his hands, then forced the words out through gritted teeth, "That ringing...it's getting louder...worse."   
  
Max stormed from the room, leaving the others somewhat perturbed until he returned with a sledge hammer in one hand then grabbed the device from Isabel's hand and placed it on the floor. Without a moment's warning or consulting anyone else, he brought the hammer down on it, smashing it to smithereens in one swing. Then he turned to Michael, "Michael, is the ringing gone?"   
  
Nodding weakly, Michael eased himself back down onto the bed and let out a long breath, "Yeah, it's all gone."   
  
Maria wiped at his forehead again, "What about the headaches?"  
  
"Yeah, they're gone."   
  
Isabel smiled at Max, "Thank God."  
  
**********  
  
Within hours Michael was feeling well enough to move out of the stale atmosphere of the bedroom and into the relative comfort of the lounge, where Maria mothered him with blankets, pillows and even managed to persuade Liz to start making soup. Alex was sitting quietly at the kitchen table with all the components of the device laid out in front of him as he sorted through them. Isabel, who had been napping for the past half hour went to join him, "Hey, how's it going?"   
  
Alex held a tiny pin up close to his face, examining it slowly. "Well, I think I have a fair idea of how this thing works, but a lot of the bits were completely obliterated by the hammer and I don't think we found all the parts."   
  
Isabel picked up a crumpled piece of the shell, turning it over in her hands, "Oh well, it isn't like we wanted to turn it on again."   
  
"No, I guess not." He cast a glance over at Michael who was tucking into a bowl of chicken soup while Maria and Liz chatted happily beside him. Max was watching his recovering friend with a strange expression on his face. "What's up with Maxwell? I thought he'd be thrilled that Michael's better."   
  
Isabel raised her eyebrows, "Yeah, well, you know Max. He's always two steps ahead, worrying about whatever's further up the road."  
  
"Aren't you?" Isabel dropped the shell of metal unceremoniously on the table.  
  
"Yes, but our lives aren't exactly in danger anymore. I mean, Michael could have died. Now, all we have to do is lie low for a whil until this scare blows over."  
  
"But you know now that these people really were out to get you, that it isn't just some medical thing at all."   
  
Isabel sighed, "Now you know how we feel every day. This is just the usual stuff. We've had Valenti and the FBI, now this. Eventually, your mind just can't deal with any more stress."   
  
Alex put down the component he had been examining and looked straight at Isabel, noticing the haggard expression she now wore. Then, he saw the tears in her eyes and pulled her to him, "Hey, it's okay."   
  
He rocked her for a moment, just letting all the stress she had been feeling for the past few days release itself. In that moment, everything felt right again, Maria and Michael, Liz and Max and Alex and Isabel. Even though this success didn't necessarily mean the whole thing was over, it diffused the tension infinitely to know that Michael was going to be all right. Now whoever was behind this had to face them all, united.  
  
**********  
  
"Liz Parker? Where have you been? I have been worried sick about you, I rang everyone, nobody knew where you had gone!"   
  
Liz's heart lurched in her chest when she remembered the thing which had been nagging in the back of her mind all of the previous night. Even though she knew there would have been no point in leaving a note on her bed saying, "Dear Pappy, I've just slipped out through the window so that I can break into the town hall with my alien boyfriend."   
  
However, she had planned to ring her father as early as possible to explain something to him, even if it was just another lie. Now he had been left to fret over her absence, imagining some horrific death and the prospect of losing his second daughter. Despite all the life threatening positions Liz had found herself in since she had discovered Max to be...a Czechoslovakian, she had invariably made sure her father knew that she was alive and well no matter what happened.   
  
Shutting the front door carefully behind her, Liz grappled with what possible excuse she could come up with this time. She had already lost a few more hours than she had planned at Michael's house. "Pappy, I'm sorry. I didn't think. I couldn't sleep and went for a walk. I ended up at Maria's."   
  
Her father looked at her with a mixture of suspicion and genuine anger before his face crumpled a little, the creases in his forehead smoothing out and his clenched fists unballed themselves. Suddenly, Liz saw what a shell of a man he had become since Rosa's death and it made tears sting in her eyes. His voice was tired and pleading, "You must ring me. I worry about you."   
  
Liz nodded, allowing the silky locks of dark hair to fall across her face and veil the tears she could feel creeping down her cheeks. "Yes, pappy."   
  
She kissed him lightly on the cheek and quickly pushed past to her bedroom where she shut the door and leaned against it. The tears flowed freely, suddenly overwhelming her. It surprised Liz, she was unused to being so emotional about her father's behaviour towards her and Rosa, but clearly the stress of recent events was taking its toll. Sometimes Liz missed Rosa with all her heart, a pain like something had been torn from inside her and would always show an ugly scar to remind her. All those years of sharing together, how their parents always bought blue plastic sunglasses for Rosa and red ones for Liz, strawberry ice cream for Liz and chocolate for Rosa. Now it was all Liz's, there was no reason not to have it all. Most days it didn't bother her, it was just a hollow jolt in her mind everytime Liz chose something or passed something in a shop, but today it was all too much.   
  
Liz threw herself on the bed, hugging a soft toy panda close to her face, trying to absorb the wracking sobs which ran through her body.   
  
After about half an hour, she wasn't even sure what she was crying for anymore, whether it was her father's sorrow, her own, the loss of Rosa or the aching feeling that she might lose Max again. As the tears dried and her vision cleared, Liz stared blankly up at the ceiling, seeing her boyfriend's face in every crack and shadow, filling each crevice with a jumble of her fears and desires for him. It was in the middle of one of these 'deep and meaningfuls' that the phone rang and Liz picked it up quickly before her father could suspect anything, "Hello?"   
  
"God, are we in heaps of trouble!"   
  
Liz rolled over onto her back and grabbed a tissue from the side table, "Tell me about it."   
  
Maria's voice was low and quieter than usual, the definite sign of someone who was grounded and not allowed to use the phone. "I can't believe my mom could ground me just for skipping a day of school. I mean, it isn't like I've done it before...much. Besides, she never knew about the other times which makes this doubly unreasonable. As far as she knows, I've been the model student for the whole year."   
  
Pausing to inhale some eucalyptus oil from one her many vials stacked beside her bed, Maria asked, "What did your dad say?"   
  
Liz didn't really want a conversation like this so she quickly said, "Nothing much, actually. He hasn't dealt out the punishment yet. I guess he's waiting until he has calmed down a bit."   
  
Maria scoffed, "God, your dad is so cool. I mean, my mom would never wait to be rational about this, she grounds me forever and then won't go back on it. Anyone would think it had been written in stone or something."   
  
She paused again for a moment, then asked, "Liz, are you okay?"   
  
Liz shifted uncomfortably on the bed, "Yeah, I'm fine. Why?"  
  
"Come on, I know you too well for that. You sound all bunged up, so unless you developed a killer flu bug between Michael's house and yours, you've been crying. Out with it, Liz. I may be grounded but can still get to you."   
  
Liz smiled at her friend's loyalty. It didn't matter how many times she went to Maria about Max, she was always the good friend, giving the right advice and listening for hours to the same old thing. "I just, I guess I didn't know how tired. It just brought everything to the surface, you know."   
  
"Hey, I know how freaked out you must be. I mean, it was Michael. I know, but it won't be Max, okay. We found out what was wrong with Michael and he is going to be okay. Just think, in a few years, all of us will be independent and we can leave Roswell for good, make a life for ourselves where we don't have to worry about some military conspiracy or what the FBI are going to set out next."   
  
Liz appreciated Maria's concern, but it didn't allay any of the fears which she had. Right now, though, she didn't really want to talk about them anyway. It would only make her feel worse to hear Maria try and see the silver lining to the fact that Max and Michael did actually want to find out where they were from and were likely to hang around Roswell to do that or to hear Maria stumble around the possibilities of Max actually leaving Earth for good. Besides, leaving Roswell would never be the answer. Just last night they had all seen what the government were capable of doing to disarm or destroy aliens from a distance. In a few years, who knew what technology would have produced.   
  
No, there was nothing anyone could say to improve the way Liz felt. Corny as it sounded, all she really wanted was to float her and Max inside a bubble away from everyone, up to the sky where no one could touch them and nothing mattered except that they had each other. It was with this thought in her mind that she drifted off to sleep, succumbing to the exhaustion which had been dragging her down since the previous night's events.  
  
********** 


	7. Part 7

UNDERCURRENTS - PART 7 (See Part 1 for disclaimers)  
By Allegra  
  
Max and Isabel had headed home as soon as Michael was settled comfortably, hoping to deter their parents from any suspicions as to their children's activities over the past few days. They sat in Max's room in silence for a while, taking in the entirety of what had just happened. Their best friend had nearly died because of a government experiment targeted directly at them - this was all too close for comfort.   
  
"What are we going to do?" Isabel searched her brother's face, her brown eyes anxious.   
  
He swallowed hard and glanced out of the window, "I don't know, Issy. I mean...we still don't know exactly where it came from, who put it there or even what it does."  
  
"What do you mean? Of course we do, we saw what happened to Michael."  
  
"Yes, but why him and not us? What if his symptoms were some kind of side effect for what was really going on? If not, it means that there is something different about Michael, something which we are immune to which left him vulnerable to their weapon."   
  
Isabel's voice rose with a sudden burst of anger, "What are you saying, Max? That we just do nothing?"  
  
"No, I'm simply saying that we don't know enough about it yet. We have to have information before we can act on it, otherwise we are just drawing attention to ourselves unnecessarily."   
  
Isabel calmed herself down a bit, fiddling absently with Max's name tag from the UFO Museum. "Okay, you're right. We'll lie low for a while, figure out what that device is made of and where it came from. Then, we'll make our move."   
  
Max nodded, uncertainly. He knew that the move would be made and that he would be a part of it, but he couldn't imagine what that would mean - for them and their future, for him and Liz. It put a new spin on everything because there was no paranoia about this attack. Whoever had planted the device knew full well that there were aliens still living in Roswell, that it was worth shutting down the town until they had flushed them out, and confronting the government when they already had alien weapons was leagues ahead of Valenti or any other foe the three of them had encountered.   
  
Nobody could be sure of the consequences or even if they would survive. Maybe they would all be captured and tested on, lab rats for cruel experimentation until they died of old age or their ordeal. Hell, Max didn't even know how long their life expectancy was anyway. Turning away from his sister, suddenly ashamed to look her in the eye, Max grabbed his jacket. "I'm not tired, I'm going to see Liz."   
  
Isabel didn't detect the distracted tone in his voice and stood up, "I'll head over to Alex's and see if he has made any progress - or if he is grounded."   
  
Max nodded, satisfied that he had eased Isabel's mind if not his own. He knew what he was going to find when he saw Liz and it wasn't going to be the strong, supportive figure he relied on. At the time, he had ignored it, but Max had sensed her fear for his own safety and he knew it would have taken its toll by now.  
  
**********  
  
Isabel held up a fist ready to knock on the Whitmans' front door before thinking better of it and slipping round the back, grabbing a handful of gravel to throw at Alex's window. In a moment, he was outside on the lawn beside her, a bag which she could only assume was the device they had retrieved from the town hall in one hand. He whispered, "Let's go to the Crashdown."   
  
Isabel nodded and didn't protest when he took her hand, gently tugging her down the sidewalk. Once out on the open street, their voices resumed natural volume, "So were you grounded or was all of that just for effect?"   
  
Alex smiled, "Actually, no. I wasn't grounded but my dad is working on some big assignment and I told him last night that I was staying over at a friend's. He didn't know I was in the house, so it saved a few questions if I played the burglar. Besides, it was fun."   
  
Isabel laughed, "Perhaps that could be another list for your website - the top ten ways of leaving your house!"   
  
They chatted happily as they made it to the Crashdown and gathered conspiratorially in one of the furthest booths, hiding behind the menus. Isabel ordered a sandwich while Alex found the greasiest meal on the list and a large cola. "So, have you had any luck with the device? Figured anything out?"   
  
Alex shook his head, sadly, "I just don't recognize any of the components."   
  
Isabel took a bite of her sandwich, trying her hardest to act as if it didn't concern her. Changing the subject as quickly as possible, she turned to the issue of school on Monday and how they were going to explain their way out detention for the next year. By the time the mood and lightened, Alex caught sight of Michael entering the restaurant and he tilted his head to alert Isabel.   
  
Ordering a black coffee, Michael slipped into the seat beside Alex. Isabel didn't like to say anything but she couldn't help but be a little alarmed by his still pale face and the dark rings around his eyes. Clearly, her expression spoke volumes.   
  
Michael put the hot mug down on the table, "I feel fine, Issy, but it's gonna take more than one morning to get back to my former beauty, okay?"   
  
Isabel smiled then offered her sandwich to him, "Want some?"   
  
He turned his nose up at the healthy vegetable content of her plate and grabbed a chip from Alex's plate. "So, what are you two doing hiding in this dark corner, thick as thieves? You know, if you were trying not to draw attention to yourselves, you should sit in the window like every other criminal."   
  
Alex tried vainly to shield his plate from Michael's attacks, "We thought we'd be safe from the chip invaders, but now they have landed right on top of us, I see the appeal of the window seat."   
  
Michael smiled sweetly through a mouthful of Alex's lunch. Isabel was relieved that Michael was here, it broke the tension which had mounted between her and Alex. The three of them together like this made things feel normal, like they had nothing to worry about. Who knew how long their good humour would hold out but right now, they were all willing to play along.  
  
**********  
  
"Max."   
  
Liz didn't know why she said his name like that, as if she were surprised to see him, but recently it seemed to be the only thing she could say. They really needed some quality time together but it had been increasingly difficult since Roswell had been descended on by the men in black and Liz hadn't wanted to distract her boyfriend from more pressing problems. Now, she was relieved that she recognized the expression on his face so well, that playful smile curling the corners of his mouth and his eyes tracing over her face, drawing her in.   
  
"The others are all enjoying a well earned day off so I figured maybe you and I could do the same."   
  
Liz forced a small smile to her lips then glanced back at her father's study. "I don't know if I should, Max."   
  
Max's expression did not waver but he felt like she had just punched him in the stomach; now she was avoiding him. Liz picked distractedly at the paintwork on the door frame, then smiled like Max always thought of her. It was a mixture of cheekiness and an inner glow which coursed through her body giving her an energy which he had always felt drawn to.   
  
She whispered, "Give me a minute, okay."   
  
Max waited patiently on the doorstep and a moment later Liz was back, pulling on her favourite suede jacket. He took her hand and led her towards the jeep, "Did your dad give you a hard time?"   
  
"No, he was just upset that I didn't phone."   
  
Max fired up the ignition and ran one hand over Liz's knee, "Well, I've got you now and we are going to have the perfect day."   
  
Liz couldn't fight the warm feeling which had begun to creep across her chest and which rose to her cheeks making them glow under her perfect American tan.  
  
They drove as far away from civilization as they could without coming up against the road blocks, then Max pulled over and they both scrambled into the back seat. Liz snuggled up against him, her head leaning against his firm chest, "Oh, Max. This feels good, doesn't it?"   
  
He nodded, gazing off towards the desert which was out of their limits. "Yeah, it does. I'll just be happy when those men get out of town and we can be left alone for five minutes. I feel like all we ever do is worry about stuff like that."   
  
Liz rubbed at an ink stain on Max's jeans, "Yeah, but it's pretty important stuff, Max. It's not like you can just ignore it."   
  
She pulled herself up in the seat and stared into her boyfriend's eyes, their gazes locking, then their lips met. For the first time in what felt like ages, Liz melted into their kiss, savouring the essence of Max Evans which she felt like she was experiencing for the first time. It felt electric, like nothing could tear them apart. It was at times like this that Liz truly felt that they were destined to be together, that the rhythm they shared was in total harmony and she knew Max felt the same.   
  
Their hands were all over each other and their minds united in some other world which Liz could only imagine must be what pure heaven was like. Love was the corniest, tackiest thing imaginable and every time she kissed Max it was like a thousand little doves and candy kisses were floating around her head, making every stupid pop song sound like the most profound comment ever. Right now was one of those moments and as they nestled closer to each other, Liz completely forgot about any danger which Max might be in or what the future would hold for them both.  
  
That afternoon, they could have been the only people in the world and Max acted like the most regular boyfriend a girl could ask for. He bought her ice cream and took her to the bowling alley where he taught her how to play properly and did all the non-bowling things he was supposed to do, whispering sweet nothings in Liz's ear. It didn't occur to either of them that they had missed school which had to be made up for and excused; such things were trivial in the face of the sorts of danger which they had faced over the past few hours.  
  
**********  
  
The next day rolled around all too quickly for the gang who had been avoiding the issue of school absence since Friday. Michael had little trouble escaping detention considering how awful he had been looking since Thursday and his teachers had taken pity on him. Maria had finally managed to get a note from her mother who had relented over an incredible meatloaf which her daughter had cooked regardless of her vegetarianism. Liz simply apologized for not supplying a note, batted her dark eyelashes and reminded the principal of her untainted record which she would never intentionally blemish. Isabel seemed immune to any kind of reprimand at all, escaping the questions of even the most vigilant register keeper.   
  
Max had told his parents that he had been ill and since they had not been there to see the evidence, Isabel's lies were enough for them to scribble a quick sick note. All in all, the group had fared pretty well, except for Alex. He faced his fate with all the dignity one would expect of a teenager who had spent years of practice in gracefully defying his father's wishes for him to join the army. He ended up on detention for the next week. "I don't mind actually," was the only comment he offered.   
  
Maria cast him a expression of pure disbelief, backed up by the others. "How can you say that, Alex? You got detention for a week and your father is going to whip your ass for it!"   
  
She smiled sweetly at him as if butter wouldn't melt in her mouth and Alex laughed. "I wouldn't expect your small, aromatherapy-oil addled brain to understand the complex motives behind my actions."   
  
Maria snorted in mock disgust, "There was no action, Alex. You sat passively in the office while you were given a week's detention."   
  
Liz patted his knee lightly in a faintly protective gesture, "Well, it was still very noble of you. I like a man who faces up to his responsibilities." As she said this, her eyes moved purposefully towards Max and he smiled graciously before eating one of the chips which she offered him. I  
  
sabel rolled her eyes, "God, you two are disgusting. First it was hand holding and silly notes, now you have deteriorated into the food sharing stage. I despair!"   
  
Maria started giggling and nearly choked on a mouthful of sandwich. She flapped her hands at Alex to get his attention while she tried to digest her food, "Hey, perhaps that could be your next Internet list - the ten grades of love, using Max and Liz as your subjects."   
  
Alex smiled and shoved his sunglasses further up his nose, trying to keep his rapidly diminishing cool. "I'm not sure that even my concentration stamina could hold out for the climax."   
  
This reduced Maria to helpless giggles, only worsened by the fact that she had just begun to drink her iced tea. Max and Liz remained oblivious to the jokes at their expense, still completely absorbed in one another and it was just as Alex and Maria were about to drag Isabel into yet another discussion as to what his next list could consist of that Michael arrived. Maria watched him approach from the shade of their favourite tree, savouring the rare opportunity to really stare at how cool and sexy he always looked.   
  
As usual, Michael was wearing dark colours, a black shirt with a red band halfway up the sleeve and blue jeans. His hair was characteristically scruffy, but it only made him look even more gorgeous, especially with his ray-bans on. Maria was half pleased and half disappointed that he sat down right next to her, giving her proximity but not exactly the view she had hoped for. She smiled at him and offered him a dried apricot, knowing full well that Michael would turn his nose up at it.   
  
"Hey, you're going to have to do better than that, Maria. I am recovering from severe illness. I need proper nourishment not this pseudo-recycled rubbish."   
  
His tone was playful as he turned over a shrivelled piece of fruit in his hands then gnawed on it, a look of distaste passing across his face. Liz managed to tear herself away from Max for a second to inquire after her friend's health, "How are you feeling, Michael?"   
  
He nodded in approval before tossing Maria's fruit into the nearby bushes, "I'm feeling great, actually. It's like I was never sick."   
  
Max turned his attention back to the rest of the group and his voice took on a serious note, "That's good. It's one less thing to worry about."   
  
Isabel nodded, solemnly, finally saying what had been on her brother's mind all morning. "Yeah, so now we just have to explain why Michael was the only one affected by this device. None of this adds up."   
  
Michael took off his sunglasses and fiddled with them in his lap for a moment, no one speaking. "We have to find out where that thing came from. Somebody who knew about us planted it there, some one who knows what we are, that we are here. We have to find them before they find us."   
  
Maria recognised Michael's aggressive mode rearing its head and that was not always a good sign. It usually brought disaster in its wake, something which they could not afford to let happen. She ventured to remind him of this but Max beat her to it. "We have to be careful, Michael. Now more than ever. They are right on top of us, practically breathing in our faces and we have to be prepared for anything they might do."   
  
Alex cleared his throat to draw attention to himself, masking genuine concern with a forced casual air, "The question is how?"   
  
Isabel put down her lunch, her hunger rapidly disappearing. "We've got to figure out where it came from. There must be some way of tracing it back to its inventors."   
  
Michael's voice was stern, "We know who invented it - the military, the government. They're the ones who have been after us since the beginning. They are the only ones who still believe there are aliens on Earth. Nobody else would go to such lengths to find us."   
  
Liz, who had stayed quiet throughout the conversation, afraid of what conclusions they might reach, said, "The technology is pretty advanced. Whoever built it didn't do it on a whim. They knew it was worth the money, that they could get results. Right, Alex?"   
  
She stared at their geekish friend, gauging his response. He shifted uncomfortably on the grass, suddenly aware of the prickling which it had created in his legs. The device had left him stumped despite many hours of examining it. He hated to be the one to spoil the party, but he had to admit that there weren't many clues left, "I've looked over the damn thing for ages and I can't find anything which would indicate where it came from. Sorry, guys. Liz is right, whoever made that knew what they were doing."   
  
Maria looked around the circle at the despairing faces of her friends, "So what do we do now?" She was met with silence. For once, even Michael didn't seem to feel up to a grand mission. Not for a while anyway.  
  
**********  
  
That night, Max went to bed early despite not feeling particularly tired. Even though he had trained himself to rest for almost as long as humans he had always found it difficult. Now, with all the problems which faced them, it became even harder to vacate his mind and find any kind of peace.   
  
Staring up at the ceiling was proving less sleep inducing than usual so Max put on his walkman, hoping that the tape which Liz had made him would help alleviate some of his worries. The song was a soft, acoustic ballad by some Sarah McLachlan wannabe, music which Max always associated with silly romantic films. However, somehow, because it came from Liz it sounded better than most of the others, it reminded him of how he felt when he was with her, how she made him feel.   
  
When he closed his eyes, Max could almost feel his hands touching her, her hair against his cheek and her hand clasped in his. Shortly, Max drifted away from the consciousness of the room around him into a cocoon of Liz Parker and then into sleep. It was there that strange things began to happen.  
  
Max found himself in complete darkness but, instead of fear, he could feel Michael nearby. There was a pin prick of light ahead of him and at first he wasn't sure if it was an object right in front of him. The perspective was completely distorted and Max reached out one hand to touch it, but it still lay far ahead of him and, feeling drawn to it, he walked through the darkness. The ball of light grew larger until Max recognised it as the end of some kind of tunnel which he was in. The ground lost its springy texture and became grittier until it was clear that he was in the desert with the sun behind him. Max could still feel Michael near him and he scanned the horizon for any sign of his friend, but saw nothing.   
  
Then, he gradually made out the tall, gangly form of his best friend slowly coming into focus until Max was standing almost in front of him. Michael made no move towards him, no gesture of welcome or of comfort. Then, his eyes moved to a point behind Max and Max turned to see Isabel approaching them. As she stepped closer, Max could feel a crushing pain in his chest which spread further across his entire body until he was paralysed and in utter agony. Isabel simply stared at her brother as if he were nothing more than a fly to be squashed. Max could feel her power inside him, turning against him, viciously. She knew what she was doing but she didn't seem to care. With a start, Max woke up.  
  
His breath was ragged and Max could feel the sweat all over his body. What kind of dream was that?! The most frightening thing was that it hadn't felt like a dream at all, it had felt like a vision, like the kind of vision he was used to experiencing when something big was about to happen. If this had been some kind of prophecy, then he had to figure out what would make Isabel want to hurt him? There was something really wrong with what he had seen and it was sitting way too close for comfort. 


	8. Part 8

UNDERCURRENTS - Part 8 (See Part 1 for disclaimers)  
By Allegra  
  
"You look like hell."   
  
As usual, Maria had just voiced exactly what was running through Liz's head when Max had met with them in the school corridor before class. Max thought it better to avoid making excuses for himself, so he raised his eyebrows in surprise, "Yeah?"   
  
Liz stared at her boyfriend with concern, "You do look pretty out of it, Max. Are you okay?"   
  
He nodded, determined not to allow Liz's expression to concern him. He had seen too much of her worried face recently and all he wanted was for everyone to lighten up, try to get on with their life as usual regardless of what a sham it might be. "I'm just tired, I guess. Nothing to worry about." Too late, Liz's hand was on his forehead monitoring his temperature and checking his pupils.  
  
Tugging away from her as much as he could without drawing suspicion, Max grabbed her hand away from his face and drew her in for a kiss. Maria pulled a face and grabbed her books from the top of the lockers, "I'll see you guys in class. Don't forget that is why we are here and you don't want to be late after skipping Friday."   
  
Neither of her friends responded, lost in each other for a moment. Max pulled away abruptly, taking the lead towards the classroom with Liz in tow. She seemed a little bemused by the sudden interruption of a kiss she was really enjoying, but Max made no attempt to explain himself. He had been concerned that she might see something of his dream when they kissed. Right now it was all he could think about and he would have difficulty stopping Liz from seeing everything. There was no point in telling anyone if it was just your average surreal dream and Max needed a bit more time to deliberate before deciding. Until he had, there was nothing he wanted more than to keep it to himself, prevent anyone from making mountains out of mole hills.  
  
Even as he sat down beside Liz in class, feeling the familiar touch of her arm against his, Max couldn't tear his mind away from the dream, of Isabel's face. That was what was more unnerving than anything else, the fact that he suddenly felt afraid of his own sister. How could he be feeling this way about the person he had shared a pod with, grown up with? They were all in this together, Isabel included, so why did Max feel like she was an outsider?   
  
"Max?"   
He looked at Liz, blankly, "Hmm?"   
  
Liz stifled the desire to ask what was wrong again, "Questions one to five. We are supposed to be answering them."   
  
Max glanced distractedly around the room at the other pairs of students with their heads bent over the text book and whispering amongst themselves. "Oh, right."   
  
He turned his attention to the book they had spread open between them and began tapping the end of his pencil lightly against the page in a gesture of impatience. Liz simply stared at him from behind veiled lids, her mind racing with questions as to why Max was behaving so strangely. She answered the questions for them, occasionally directing a comment in her boyfriend's direction, but she knew there was no point in pressing him right now. It was better to work alone.  
  
**********  
  
Michael was feeling on top of the world when he came out of history that day, something about facing death made being healthy all shiny and new. It was an experience he hoped would last because his teachers had already commented on his renewed enthusiasm for every subject and Michael had surprised himself with how much he knew in the history test. Catching up with Maria in the hallway, he slung one arm across her shoulder and she looked at him with an expression of suspicion and pleasure.   
  
"I'm not sure that I like the new you. First you outdo everyone in the history test and now I'm starting to think you could get a job at Disney World. What gives?"   
  
Michael smiled sweetly at her and Maria took the opportunity to wrap her free arm around his waist. "Listen, Maria, I was thinking. You and I should go out to the movies or something. We haven't done anything for ages."   
  
Maria felt that familiar glow which she always associated with Michael growing in her stomach and she tried hard to sound casual, "Yeah, that'd be nice."   
  
Michael was relieved to hear the happy tone in her voice, but he was already starting to lose that confident edge he had been so sure of only moments ago. He loosened his grip around Maria, but she was in no mood for letting him go. The fact that he had asked her out was all the boost she needed to remind herself that he really did like her and, certain in this knowledge, she grabbed his hand in her own as they made their way out into the quads for lunch.   
  
Maria threw herself unceremoniously on the withered yellow grass, "So, what movie are we going to see?"   
  
Michael pulled on his sunglasses, hoping they would provide a general feeling of protection and watched her through the dark tinted lenses. "I'm not seeing some slushy chick flick."   
  
Maria smiled, "And I guess you won't be dying to see the latest sci-fi instalment either, right?"   
  
Michael pulled a sour face, "Oh God, not that alien ship thing!"   
  
"Well, I guess that just leaves that Roman gladiator thing and I hate violence like that. So, how about a video instead? We've still got loads that we haven't got around to seeing."   
  
Michael was feeling increasingly awkward in this conversation because it always raised the issue of intimacy, something he never felt comfortable thinking about or discussing. "Yeah, whatever."   
  
Maria pretended not to notice his suddenly disinterested tone but her heart sank inside. She never knew what reaction would come next with Michael, in fact, most of the time she didn't even know what they were doing together. They certainly never acted like a proper couple and spent most of their time alone arguing like two old married people or making out like there was no tomorrow. It left Maria confused to say the least but whenever she tried to talk to Michael about it, he clammed up or she was too intimidated by his good looks or cold demeanour to broach the matter.  
  
It was with some relief, then, that she saw Alex approaching them across the quad. "Alex, I thought you had detention."   
  
A smug smile passed across his face as he sat down, "Yeah, well, someone just happened to have a small accident with some hydrochloric acid in science this morning and guess who was there to help. There's nothing like a student saving the school from a major lawsuit to put things into their proper perspective."   
  
Michael grinned, "That's pretty smooth."   
  
Alex raised his eyebrows in a proud motion, "That's not all. I'm going to get special credit for it."   
  
Maria rolled her eyes as the two guys gave each other high fives, then hailed Isabel who was checking the notice board under the sheltered walkway. The long-legged blonde turned towards Maria, a slightly irritable expression on her face. She looked furtively around as if trying to avoid someone then made what looked like a run for it towards her friends. "Did you have to shout so loud, Maria?"   
  
Maria looked a little taken aback, "Sorry, I didn't realise you had joined the witness protection programme."   
  
Isabel shot her a look of distaste then softened into a slight smile. "No, I'm sorry. You know that guy, James, in our English class."   
  
Maria nodded vigorously, suddenly alert to the fact that she might be getting some serious gossip out of this. "Yes?!"   
  
Isabel shook her head, aware that Maria was already constructing completely the wrong idea. "No! He sat next to me today and...well, he wouldn't leave me alone. So, I'm hiding from him."   
  
Michael listened closely to her, detecting a slight tremble in her voice and he moved closer to her. "So, what happened to the Ice Queen?"   
  
His tone was playful but Isabel was clearly in no mood for fun, "What?"   
  
Alex chimed in, unaware of the minefield he was entering.  
  
"Yeah, come on, Isabel. You perfected the art of cutting a guy down to size years ago."   
  
Isabel stared at her friends and Maria could see the expression of a girl who felt totally outnumbered and isolated. "Yeah, you're right. I guess I just didn't feel like being the mega-bitch today."   
  
Alex immediately realized his mistake and started, "Hey, I didn't mean..."   
  
Without waiting for the response, Isabel grabbed her bag and headed off in the direction of the library. Michael watched her go in silence. It was usual for Isabel to get irritable for no real reason but not when it was something like this. Usually, it was some bitchy rumour one of her cheerleader 'friends' was spreading about her or some minor injustice. This was about a good looking guy who really fancied her and, instead of giving him the brush-off or adding him to her list of hopeless groupies, Isabel was upset and worse, she was genuinely rattled.  
  
**********  
  
Isabel wasn't the only one having trouble dealing with things and Liz was determined to find out what was bugging Max. She gave him some space during the first break, taking off to the library to study, but by lunch time, Liz felt it was time to face the music. It was a relief to see that Max had decided to eat alone, making it easier to talk to one another. On the other hand, if he wasn't with the others, it meant that he didn't really want to be with Liz either.   
  
Taking a deep breath, she approached the bench and sat down tentatively beside her boyfriend. "Hi."   
  
Max smiled, apologetically. He knew full well what the gesture of eating alone meant to her. "Hi."   
  
"Look, I don't want to pry, but...I know there is something wrong and I want you to tell me. I don't want us to have secrets."   
  
Max put down the sandwich which he had been picking at and looked kindly at Liz. "You're right and I don't want us to, either."   
  
"So?"  
  
"So, I promise you that there is nothing wrong."   
  
Liz met his unflinching gaze with a mixture of disbelief and uncertainty. "Max."   
  
He couldn't help smiling slightly at the idea that there was nothing he could hide from her, no facade which she couldn't see through. "Okay. I guess I haven't really been sleeping and I just have a few things that I have to sort out in my head. I just need a bit of space to work through them, then I'll be fine."   
  
Liz knew there was no point in pushing it further and she nodded, "Okay. Are you sure?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Well, you know I am here when you're ready."   
  
Max nodded and kissed her lightly on the lips and they moved closer together. It was in the middle of this intimate session that Alex arrived, looking a little breathless but very happy and waving a newspaper in one hand.   
  
"Great news!" Max and Liz pulled apart, reluctantly. "I was just in the library and look."   
  
He shoved the front page under their noses and Liz read out loud the headline: ROSWELL QUARANTINE LIFTED. Alex summarized the rest of the article for them, "They've gone. They said that the flu epidemic was just a scare, that there was no cause for alarm and nobody in town has been affected. So, it looks like we are in the clear."   
  
Max perused the article suspiciously, as if he expected to be able to read the military's mind in the process. "I'm not so sure. I just wish we knew what all this was for, what the point is. This doesn't mean anything for us. If it was an attack against us, there is no way that they will have given up on the strength of one setback."   
  
Alex let out an exasperated sigh and rolled his eyes, "Well, yeah, but you're forgetting that we can leave town again. After all, the government has always been after you, this just puts everything back to normal."   
  
Max nodded and forced a pleased smile to his lips, wrapping one arm around Liz. "Yeah, we can go for a drive later if you like."   
  
Alex batted his eyelids emphatically, "Oh, how sweet of you to ask."   
  
Liz laughed and planted a kiss on Max's lips, "That'd be great. Come on, I've got to set some stuff up in the lab before biology."   
  
Alex decided to take this opportunity to seek Isabel out. That had been his intention when he went to the library, but the newspaper had sidetracked him and it was only when Liz and Max along with Michael and Maria had paired off that he remember where he was going.  
  
**********  
  
Isabel was trying to lie low and look inconspicuous, not something she was accustomed to doing and it was proving a great deal more difficult than she had anticipated. Despite hiding herself in the darkest cubby hole of the spacious library, she had been interrupted every five minutes by friends and foes alike who suddenly felt a desperate need to make small talk or get books from the section right beside her.   
  
She couldn't explain what it was that she had been feeling all morning, but Isabel had lost all confidence in herself as if someone had snatched the rug out from under since last night. It was an unnerving experience and not one which she wanted to feel for much longer. She vaguely remembered having a strange dream the night before but, uncharacteristically, she couldn't remember the details of it. The events were hazy in her mind, flitting across her brain but never slowly enough for her to actually catch hold of its substance. In a strange way that was a kind of comfort, it wouldn't be a vision if she couldn't remember it so it must have been nothing more than weird dream.   
  
That was all well and good if Isabel could shake it off but whatever negative things were left over had somehow infiltrated her waking hours. For the first time in her life, she had been genuinely concerned with James' advances; he was renowned for his rough handling of his girlfriends and his general belief that he could have anyone he felt like - including Isabel. When he had sat down next to her, instead of feeling a wave of pleasure followed by some dry comment to knock him dead, she had felt intimidated and almost frightened. That was just not an emotion Isabel felt when she was with guys, no matter their reputation. Vulnerability was the name of her pain today and it made her feel totally unable to function in school at all.   
  
Hiding herself behind a pile of books in the least popular room in school was her only hope for getting through the day.  
  
Alex had almost given up looking for Isabel when he caught sight of a perfectly tanned leg protruding from a dingy, dusty corner of shelves. Approaching the figure bent over the desk, he recognized it immediately as Isabel Evans and, running his tongue over dry lips, Alex sat down on a rickety spare chair beside her. "Very sneaky. You were right if you thought this was the last place I would look."   
  
Isabel didn't look up at first and so he prepared a different tactic. "Look, I'm sorry about what I said earlier. It was a bad joke and I shouldn't have said it."   
  
Isabel's gaze wavered from the text book in front of her and she stared blankly a short distance ahead of her. Alex knew that she was moments from cracking, "You know I would never hurt you intentionally, Isabel."   
  
At this, she closed the book and looked at him, her eyes softening. "I know. I don't know why I reacted the way I did."   
  
Alex smiled at the closest she ever got to an apology, "Maybe because it was a horrible thing that I said."   
  
Isabel shook her head, fervently, "No, you were right. Any other day I would have put James in his place, he wouldn't have been a problem. I don't know what happened."   
  
Alex wasn't quite sure what reaction he was expected to give. Yes, it was strange to find Isabel ruffled by a guy, but surely it wasn't such a big deal that she acted differently today than any other day. He shrugged, "I don't know what to say, Issy. I mean, it was just a guy trying to flirt with you. Maybe you're reading too much into this."   
  
"Perhaps, but...I feel like this was different. I feel different."   
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"It's like I've changed, like I..." She paused and looked steadily at Alex, suddenly very self conscious. She piled the books up in front of her in a characteristically defiant gesture, "You're right, it's nothing. I'm just being paranoid."   
  
Isabel stood up and began putting books back on shelves right, left and centre. Alex said nothing about the fact that she was putting fiction in the biology section and geography on the geology shelf, but he couldn't help noticing the nervous energy which surrounded her. Isabel was rarely anything but super cool and sophisticated and it concerned him that she should be phased by something so trivial and mundane as a hot guy wanting to date her. While he prided himself on getting close to her and considered himself one of her best friends, Alex had to admit to himself that Michael or Max would probably have more luck getting through to her than he would. Whatever relationship he had with Isabel, she was still an alien and that meant that her problems often fell into a category which he could never hope to understand - alien + girl were not easy equations for a human guy to solve.  
  
Isabel finished 'tidying up' and she was relieved that Alex had stayed with her. Now that lunch break was almost over, she knew that there was still maths to face that afternoon. He had been put in her group this semester and while she usually sat amongst her gaggle of girlfriends, Isabel didn't think she could stand their idle chit-chat and the pressures they put on her as leader of their group. As always, Alex never made her beg and he knew exactly what she wanted to hear, "Do you want to sit with me in maths?"   
  
Offering him her sweetest smile, she grabbed her bag and coat off the back of the chair, "Sure, that'd be nice."  
  
**********  
  
"Liz? Table two."   
  
Maria waved sparkly nail-polished hands in front of her friend's face, bringing her attention back to the reality of rush hour at the Crashdown. "Oh, sorry. I was miles away."   
  
Maria smiled, "Yes, another planet, right?"   
  
Liz ignored the taunt and grabbed two plates of burgers from the hatch. "Two burgers coming up."   
  
Maria leaned on her elbows through the hole into the kitchen, grateful that Mitchell was cooking tonight and not Michael. It gave her a chance to talk to Liz about their semi-date which was happening right after her shift, although Maria knew Liz's mind was elsewhere most of the time. Usually, when the Crashdown was really busy, she didn't mind because the tips were always good, but when there were more important things to think about, like boys, Maria wished everyone would go away so that she could spend the majority of her shift chatting.   
  
Shoving romantic desires and fears to the back of her mind, she went about refilling coffee and taking orders for waffles which they had run out of an hour ago. Finally, the regulars began to file out and head back home as the sun was setting, leaving Liz and Maria to clean up the evening's mess. Eventually, Maria slumped onto one of the bar stools, watching Liz empty the coffee pots. "So, you and Max are heading into the desert tonight? Sounds like everything's back to normal."   
  
Liz finished up with the coffee and joined her friend, "Yeah, but he seems kind of distracted at the moment. I don't know what it is."  
  
"Have you asked him?"  
  
Liz nodded, "Yes, but he told me he needs to figure a few things out for himself first."   
  
Maria pouted in a dubious expression, "Like what? I thought everything was okay."   
  
Liz raised her eyebrows in agreement, "So did I. Anyway, I don't want to crush him, so I'll let it go."   
  
"Maybe I could ask Michael, perhaps he knows something."   
  
Liz shook her head, "No, don't do that. It'll just make things worse and Michael is such a panic merchant. He'll freak out and I don't think Max wants anyone to know."   
  
"Sure. Mum's the word." Liz pulled the scrunchie out of her hair and ran her hands through it, massaging her scalp for a moment. "Don't you have a date with Michael tonight?"   
  
Maria was grateful that her best friend had finally got onto a subject she really wanted to talk about. "Yeah, I guess you could call it that, by a long stretch of the imagination."   
  
Liz sensed the brittle tone in her voice, "What's going on with you two? I don't even know whether you are on or off half the time."   
  
"Join the club. Whenever there is a crisis, which is most of the time, he doesn't want any ties. The rest of the time he just wants to watch videos or make out. It doesn't add up, Liz."   
  
She groaned and put her head in her hands, "Why can't I just have a regular boyfriend like Max who knows how to treat a girl? Sometimes Michael is just way too much to think about, you know?"   
  
Liz sympathised with Maria. Max was the perfect boyfriend and Michael was probably the exact opposite, unreliable, unromantic but utterly irresistible as well. "Just take it as it comes. See how things go tonight and then talk to him. I know he's a tough nut to crack but I'm sure Michael thinks about these things, too."   
  
Maria didn't look too convinced, but she tried to sound enthusiastic as she changed out of her uniform and went over her plans for the evening. Any guy who overheard the engineering which went into a simple video night would probably run a mile, but it made her feel a whole lot better and it kept Liz's mind off whatever was distracting Max.  
  
**********  
  
Isabel felt like a different person when she left campus that afternoon and she appreciated Alex offering to walk her home, casually telling her that he had to pass the Evans' on his way to run some errands for his father. Isabel knew full well that there were no errands but she accepted graciously and even invited him in for a cold drink. Still sticking to his story, Alex claimed that he didn't have time but that he would give her a ring and maybe they could go to the Crashdown later on. Isabel had agreed but all she really wanted to do was stay in her room until the horrible sensations which had been consuming her all day had gone away.   
  
Flinging herself onto her bed, she covered her face with one arm, focusing all her energy on willing the old Isabel back to life, but it seemed hopeless. It was like she had no control over herself anymore, no strength or power. She had tried a simple molecular change on a pen in the library before Alex had arrived, but it had failed dismally and, refusing to dwell on the possibilities, Isabel had put it down to distraction or stress. Often, if there was some external worry she had trouble focusing her energies properly and she couldn't even perform the simplest molecular breakdowns. Now, it was all she could to resist the urge to cry when the feelings of isolation and despair began to build up inside.   
  
When panic about her health or well being set in, Isabel always felt more alone than she ever could as the untouchable ice maiden at school. It reminded her that she couldn't even turn to her parents for advice or support, that they weren't even her real parents and that she wasn't from this planet. Whatever the consequences of illness or danger, she would have to face them alone because no matter how much she tried to reassure herself, Isabel knew that Max and Michael didn't have any more of an idea as to their future or past than she did. There was no one to turn to who could comfort her and say that every alien female goes through such a change or that it was an alien equivalent of chicken pox or the flu. Every change Isabel felt had to be received as if it were a life threatening problem which, unless it resolved itself, would probably lead to the inevitable.  
  
She knew that she couldn't go to Michael, he had already joked about how she felt and, besides, he was out on a date with Maria de Luca so Isabel didn't want to interrupt. That only left Max, but for some reason he seemed the least likely person to sympathize with her. He may be her brother but sometimes it was still an intimidating prospect to go and ask his advice or tell him her problems. Isabel could hear him telling their mother that he would be back late and not to worry, that he would be with Liz. His sister envied the way that the mere mention of Liz Parker's name allowed him to do anything he liked in relation to their parents.   
  
The few times that Isabel had brought a guy home or told her mom that she'd be out late, she had been given the third degree about where they were going, what time she would be back and the usual lecture about personal safety. It made her feel suddenly bitter inside and she resented Max's freedom and his good fortune. He had everything, the perfect life. Both she and Michael were desperate to find out about their home planet, but she knew that Max secretly didn't really care what happened; in fact, it was easier not to pursue the matter of where they really came from. He had Liz and was just as happy to merge into human life as he would to discover where his parents really were and go home. Sometimes it made her sick just thinking about how trouble free Max's life always appeared to be.   
  
Deep down Isabel knew that he worried, that every precious moment he spent with Liz was agony because it was wracked with uncertainty, but she was angry and scared. It wasn't fair that he should have someone as great as Liz to cuddle up to and love along with Michael and Maria while she was left alone with no one to turn to and everyone against her. Today had been nothing more than a further example of what the rest of the group thought of her, as the unmeltable ice queen who kept every guy at arm's length. They never stopped to think about the fact that it was isolating for her, that she was often left with nothing when the others seemed to have so much. Sure, there was Alex, but what she had with him was nothing more than infatuation. He simply wanted to be close to her because of her reputation and the fact that she was from another planet; it was a novelty which would wear off soon enough.  
  
**********  
  
Max, who had showered and spent much longer than usual choosing his shirt for the evening, had been delaying running into his sister. It was ludicrous even to him that he should be almost afraid to see his own sibling, but he couldn't help himself. It was like he had no control over what he felt, all he knew was that something about that dream made him want to keep his distance from her. Having avoided dinner on the pretext that he was having it with Liz, Max decided that enough was enough and thought he'd check on Isabel before he left.  
  
Knocking lightly on the door, he braced himself for the response but there was no answer. "Issy?" Just using the familiar name which he had called her since they were small children brought him back down to earth. What was he thinking? How could he doubt that his sister was anything but the one who had shared the alien pod with him, who had walked into the desert with him and taken his hand. They were bonded together by blood, no matter what type it might be, and they had to stay united.   
  
Max had avoided Isabel all day and now all he wanted to do was hug her close and tell her that everything was going to be all right.   
"Issy, can I come in?" Still no answer. "Okay, I'm coming in anyway."   
  
Max pushed open the door and was faintly surprised to see Isabel lying on her bed, her eyes looked red. Perching on the edge of the bedspread, he reached out one hand to stroke her back, "What's the matter?"   
  
Isabel muttered, "Nothing," but she didn't roll away from the soothing back rub so Max knew that it was just her brave front.   
  
"I know you too well for that, Issy. Come on."   
  
He waited for her to shift over on the bed then he lay down beside her. He glanced quickly at his watch, grateful that he had left plenty of time before he was supposed to meet Liz. Max waited for a moment to see if Isabel was going to take the lead but she made no sound so Max took a stab.   
  
"Is it something to do with what happened at school today?"   
  
At this, she turned over onto her stomach and grabbed one of her token soft toys, a small lion, from the side of the bed. "I don't know what happened, Max. I mean, I know that everyone thinks I'm blowing it out of all proportion, but it felt different." She lowered her voice, "You know, like alien different."   
  
Max's interest was suddenly raised by the fact that she was feeling weird, too. "Do you know what brought it on?"   
  
Isabel toyed with the corner of her pillow, suddenly a little embarrassed by how silly she must sound. "I guess, it sounds silly but..."  
  
"No, go on."   
  
"I had this dream last night. The thing is that I can't remember anything about it. It was just a feeling, you know."  
  
"A feeling?"   
  
Max tried not to sound too concerned but he wanted to share his own dream with Isabel despite the role that she had played in it. Perhaps she had been having the same dream and knew exactly what he was talking about. Isabel looked at her brother and he tried to reassure her until she began to open up more.   
  
"I mean, I don't know, but in the dream I felt out of control but it was like it leaked out into real life. That guy today was just like any other stupid school stud but I didn't know how to deal with it. That's not like me."   
  
Max nodded, staring up at the ceiling trying to weigh up whether to tell Isabel about his dream. "You know, I had a weird dream last night as well. It was about the three of us."   
  
Isabel sat up on the bed, "What was it about?"   
  
Max contemplated her in a silence for a moment, then thought better of saying anything. If he was going to tell anyone, it should be Michael. The last thing Isabel needed to hear was that he had been having dreams about her killing him. "I can't remember either, I just knew it was something wrong. I haven't been able to stop thinking about it all day."   
  
Isabel coiled the lion's tail round and round her finger, then said sharply, "We have to talk to Michael. If he has been having these dreams as well, maybe we can find out what it all means - piece it together."   
  
Max nodded, "Maybe you're right, but if he hasn't we might just make things worse."   
  
"Do you think they're visions? I mean, we can't remember any details. Surely, if it was something really important it would be clearer."  
  
"I thought about that, too." Max glanced at his watch again and swung his legs off the bed, "Look, I've got to meet Liz, so let's just keep this to ourselves for a few days, see if we have any more dreams. We'll decide what to do then." He squeezed his sister's hands quickly and headed for the door, "Oh, and Issy, don't worry, okay. I'm sure there's nothing to worry about. We'll always be different, this is probably just another phase."   
  
Knowing how empty his words sounded, Max slipped out and headed for the jeep, sparing a quick look back at Isabel's window. He could already see the glow of the television which was usually a good sign in his sister's case. She only ever watched it when she was doing her nails or organising her wardrobe. As he turned the key in the ignition, Max felt a wave of contentment spreading through him, regardless of the problems they might still face. He was going to see Liz and they were going to have some quality time alone for the first time in a while.  
  
**********  
  
End of Part 8 


	9. Part 9

UNDERCURRENTS - Part 9 (See Part 1 for disclaimers)  
By Allegra  
  
Maria was glad that Michael always started his evenings pretty late because it gave her a chance to freshen up properly and tidy her room. There was nothing more embarrassing than a guy finding something private or worse lurking under the bed or reading something she had forgotten to hide from him. Tonight, she had at least an hour before he showed up to make ample preparation and microwave some popcorn. It was at times like these that Maria genuinely appreciate her mother's appetite for junk food and fizzy drinks, something which she had always tried to avoid herself, but which were vital for video evenings. It was lucky that the popcorn did only require microwaving because Maria spent her entire time standing in front of her mirror in various different states of undress, first in a little black dress then tight fitting jeans and just about everything in between.   
  
Finally, she chose something fairly casual - black trousers with a tight fitting red T-shirt. Carefully applying the barely there make-up but paying special attention to her eyes, Maria just about finished in time to hear the knock at the door. Her mother was out on date this evening and probably wouldn't be back until pretty late by which time she and Michael would either be too absorbed in each other to care or he would have gone home. Maria took one last look at herself in the mirror and ran to the door.   
  
Michael looked even more gorgeous than usual, his hair still damp from his shower and Maria's favourite T-shirt on. He brandished chips in front of her face and a bottle of Coke, "I bet you didn't think it would be me, using the front door and everything."   
  
Maria opened the door wider to let him in, "Oh, I'm impressed. It's a lot less criminal than climbing in through my window."   
  
Michael cast a quick look around the kitchen, "Did you call out for pizza?"   
  
"Actually, I did one better. I cooked one myself - all the toppings."   
  
She pointed to the bag he held in one hand, "So, what videos did you get?"   
  
Michael pulled the tapes ceremoniously out of the plastic carrier bag, "OK, I got 'Strange Days' for our sci-fi fright fix..."   
  
He waited to see her reaction, but Maria hadn't really heard much about it, only that it had dishy Ralph Fiennes in it. "Great."   
  
"...And, for the girls we have 'Playing By Heart'."   
  
Maria pulled the pizza out of the oven and rolled her eyes, "Oh, please! For the girls! Doesn't that movie have Angelina Jolie, Gillian Anderson and Madeleine Stowe in it to name but a few? There's plenty to keep a guy amused I think."   
  
Michael smiled, cheekily. "Juliette Lewis is a bit more my style."   
  
Maria chose to ignore where this conversation was leading, "Grab some plates, will you?" She gestured to the corner cupboard and grabbed a sharp knife off the table top.   
  
They set themselves up cosily on Maria's bed and after shouting loudly at the trailers for the latest Meg Ryan flick and complaining about how stupid Tom Cruise looked with his hair long, Maria felt much more at ease than before. At first, all she could think about was how close Michael's leg was to her own, whether her perfume was too strong or not strong enough and how good he smelt. Now, she almost felt as comfortable as she would if Liz were sitting next to her, although whether that was a good thing or not was undecided.   
  
They started with 'Strange Days' and Michael relished playing the role of protector when Maria started grabbing on to him. Then, there was a short time where both of them felt really awkward as they got to a bit where a prostitute was raped and murdered. Michael had to admit that the reason why he never liked to get so-called chick flicks more than anything else was because it often came down to sex and that was never an easy thing to watch when you're with the girl you'd really like to kiss.   
  
Having eased themselves in with their sci-fi film, Maria put the romantic one in and it didn't take long before neither of them were concentrating on the movie anymore. It began with Maria giving Michael a killer back massage which then escalated into a full on making out session. When they finally came up for air, she snuggled up to him and savoured the feeling of having a real guy to hold instead of a stuffed toy. Michael seemed pretty content, too, slowly rubbing his hand up and down her spine in a gentle stroking motion.   
  
A few minutes later, both of them were sleeping, wrapped in each other's arms while the romances continued to unfold on the screen in front of them.  
  
Michael's mind drifted off, first into a surreal dream about Maria cooking galaxy burgers down at the Crashdown which he really wanted to eat but she kept telling him that Mo would be coming soon and he wouldn't like it if there weren't any hats. Gradually, this faded and was replaced with a more familiar but much more unsettling image. He was in the desert just like he had been before in the dream when he was sick. Michael could see Isabel and Max close by and he began to move towards them. He could feel Max's fear, but Isabel was like a mirror so all he could sense was his own curiosity and apprehension.   
  
Just as before, Max slowly began to rot right in front of him until he collapsed onto the ground, but Michael was unable to help him. Somehow, he was transfixed by Isabel and rooted to the ground as she moved closer to him and her hand slowly mutated from flesh and bone to shiny, cold steel. It sliced at his chest, leaving a sharp red gash across his skin and bringing with it tracks of stabbing pain.   
  
Michael's eyes snapped open and it took him a moment to remember where he was until the film brought his mind back to Maria. She was sitting up by this time, looking at him with a puzzled expression on her face, "Michael, are you okay?"   
  
He nodded, vigorously, refusing to let on how rattled he really was. "Yeah, I'm fine. I must have dropped off."   
  
Maria grabbed a handful of popcorn and settled back against her pillow, "You and me both. I don't know why I'm so tired."   
  
Michael glanced at the wall clock, "Maybe because it is past midnight."   
  
Maria was disappointed that his response hadn't been a little more intimate, that he was so aware of the time but she didn't show it. "Yeah, I guess that explains it."   
  
Michael made a move for the edge of the bed, "Perhaps I should make a move. We got school tomorrow."   
  
Maria watched him tying his shoe laces and took the time to assess him. "Since when did you worry about being late for school?"   
  
Michael ran one hand through his scruffy hair, "I guess I'm just tired, okay."   
  
Michael headed for the door with Maria in tow and she grabbed his arm as he stepped over the threshold, her brow furrowed with concern, "Are you sure you're all right?"   
  
He hesitated for a moment, on the verge of telling her everything, but he should speak to Max. He had noticed his friend's distracted air all day today and unless he had started attempting Mensa puzzles, Michael recognized that expression as a sign of some new worry. There was something about the strength of his dream which made him certain that Max must have experienced it, too. Focusing his attention on Maria for a moment, Michael leaned in and kissed her, "I'll see you tomorrow, okay."   
  
He didn't wait for her to reply but headed off down the road, eager to get home and think things through without the added scrutiny of his girlfriend.  
  
**********  
  
"Hey, Isabel. What are you doing?"   
  
Isabel looked up at Alex Whitman, suppressing the faint annoyance she felt at being interrupted. "An experiment."   
  
Realising that she was in no mood for idle chat, he sat down beside her and watched closely as she focused all her attention on the biro she was holding in one hand. After a moment or two, he couldn't contain the desire to say something, "Is something supposed to be happening because all I see is a rather chewed pen?"   
  
Isabel gave him a withering look, then flung the pen down on the table. "Damn it!"   
  
It was unlike her to be so angry over something so trivial and Alex recalled the shaken person he had walked home the previous evening and decided to try a more sympathetic approach to the usual sarcasm. "Maybe it's me, I'm probably putting you off."   
  
Isabel gave a long sigh and ran one hand through the strands of hair which refused to stay in her ponytail. "No, it isn't you. That's the problem. I can't seem to do anything with my powers anymore. This is one of the simplest molecular structures to mutate but I can't break it up."   
  
Alex picked up the pen and held it steadily in front of her. "Try again. Just empty your mind and focus all your energies on just the pen."   
  
Isabel smiled at her friend's sudden seriousness, "Okay, coach."   
  
She stared at the biro intently, first homing in on the outer casing then delving deeper into the bonds which constituted the plastic shell. Gradually, all awareness of the classroom of her friend disappeared and Isabel was totally absorbed in nudging the molecules, endeavouring to force them apart. The concentration began to mass into a ball of aching pain in her temples and she found it increasingly difficult to keep her mind on the task at hand. She fought the urge to pull away, trying hard to push apart the molecules but it was no use. A burst of pain in her head made her gasp and the concentration was broken as her hands shot to her temples and she fell back against the chair she was leaning on.   
  
Alex ran to her side of the table and eased Isabel gently onto the seat, "Isabel! Are you okay?"   
  
Straining to focus on the room which had begun to turn fuzzy, she reached one hand out to steady herself but only caught air. Alex grabbed her hand and brought his face close to hers, his eyes searching and anxious. "It's okay."   
  
Isabel could feel her heart pounding in her chest and she fought to control her breathing, "I'm okay. I'm okay."   
  
Alex, who had squatted down in front of her, didn't seem convinced. "What happened?"  
  
"I don't know. I just felt this splitting headache blocking me from using my power."   
  
Alex sat back on his heels, his trainers squeaking on the linoleum floor. "You know what this is like, don't you?"   
  
Isabel swallowed hard and said, hoarsely, "Michael."   
  
Alex nodded, gravely. "Can you stand?"   
  
Isabel took his hands and wobbled to her feet, "Yeah, I feel better. Can we go via the water fountain?"   
  
"Sure." Alex grabbed their bags and linked one arm through hers, guiding her to the door.   
  
They passed quickly down the corridor, trying to attract as little attention as possible. When Isabel had drunk some water, they retreated to the library where they were bound to find some peace and quiet. Alex watched his friend's pale face with concern; she was really rattled by what had happened and he had to admit that it was scaring him, too. The quicker he found Max and Michael the better. "Does Max have a free period now?"   
  
Isabel was clearly somewhat distracted and her brow was drawn into an expression of confusion, "Uh, I don't know. I think so...he has maths or something. I think."   
  
Dumping his bag down on the chair beside her, Alex stood up. "Okay. Don't worry, stay here and I'll find him."   
  
He didn't want to leave her when she was like this, but he knew that Max and Michael were the only ones capable of shedding any light on this.   
  
**********  
  
"So, can anyone tell me at what point the x and y axis meet in this equation?"   
  
Michael was convinced that this was a trick question. Didn't they always meet at zero? Sometimes he really hated Miss Preston for her ability to make the simplest rules into impossible problems with about a billion exceptions to what was supposed to be a fundamental rule. Gnawing on the end of his pencil, he began to doodle one of the alien hieroglyphs which they had found on the corner of his page. This was finished pretty quickly and the teacher's roving eye meant that every now and then he had to look like he was paying attention. It was during one of the moments of feigned interest when Michael looked at the blackboard that he caught sight of Alex Whitman's face peering in through the door's window.   
  
Michael instantly recognised his expression as one of worry and when their eyes met, Alex beckoned for him to come outside. Darting a look at Miss Preston to check that she hadn't seen anything, Michael raised his hand. "Uh, I'm not feeling too good. Can I go to see the nurse?"   
  
The young woman gave him a severe look which then melted into something resembling a smile and paused for a moment. Teachers were always unsure of excuses like these because it was so popular among the students yet hardly the time to call their bluff. She glanced at the wall clock, then sighed, "Very well, Mr. Guerin, but I'd better not find out that this was a ruse. Don't forget tonight's homework is chapter ten."   
  
Getting up from his chair with as much care as a supposedly sick person would do, Michael slipped out into the corridor. Alex was waiting just out of sight, "Alex, what's going on?"  
  
"It's Isabel. She isn't too great."   
  
Michael motioned for Alex to lead him to her, then asked, "But I didn't sense anything. I'd know if there was something wrong."   
  
Alex nodded, "Everything has been off lately, maybe it's because you're still recovering."   
  
Michael shook his head, "No, I don't believe that."   
  
Alex pushed open the swing doors to the library and led the way to the alcove where Isabel was sitting. Her head was bent over on her crossed arms and Michael slid into the chair beside her, rubbing one hand across her back. "Issy?"   
  
She made no movement and he whispered, "What happened to her?"   
  
Alex shrugged, "She was trying to use her powers, just simple stuff with a pen and then she got this terrible headache. Maybe she's just exhausted."   
  
Michael looked skeptical and smoothed Isabel's blonde hair away from her white face. "Where's Max?"  
  
"I was on my way to find him when I saw you. Do you know what class he has?"   
  
"French with Mr Rowe. It's in block B."   
  
Turning his attention away from Isabel, he whispered, "Wait for Max to get out of class and I'll take Isabel home. I'm pretty sure he has a free period this afternoon so there shouldn't be a problem."   
  
Alex nodded and made towards the door, then turned back, "Hey, Michael. How are you going to get her home? It's going to look pretty weird if you're carrying her across town."   
  
"I'll just have to try and wake her up or something. Go."   
  
Alex disappeared through the swing doors and Michael stroked Isabel's hair, "Issy? You've got to wake up."   
  
When he first heard that she was in trouble, all he could think about was what he could do to help her. Now that he was alone with her, Michael harked back to the dream he had experienced at Maria's. It was so hard to know what to do when there was a part of him which feared Isabel and another part which was so afraid for her and wanted to do anything he could to save her. She looked so vulnerable asleep like this and it was impossible to imagine that Isabel could do anything to harm him. "Come on, Issy. Isabel."   
  
Slowly, she stirred and mumbled something incoherent. Catching her attention, Michael rubbed her hand with his own, "Isabel."   
  
Her eyes opened, groggily and he helped her sit up. "I'm taking you home, all right. You've got to walk for me."   
  
It was with some difficulty that he got her to a standing position and they made it to the bus stop. Talking about anything to keep her awake, Michael was pretty exhausted himself when he helped Isabel up the driveway and into his house. He had decided it would be better for them to make up some excuse about her sleeping over at a friend's rather than risk allowing the Evans to call the doctor or take her to the hospital.   
  
Easing her onto the sofa and drawing a blanket over her, Michael waited anxiously for Max to arrive while Isabel slept like the dead.  
  
**********  
  
Alex had been way too vague for Max's liking and he was glad that he had chosen to drive the jeep to school that morning and not walk in like he had taken to doing lately. He had been convinced that there was trouble up ahead and if the others shared his fears they did a very skiful job of covering it up.   
  
As he drove down the main street with Liz beside him and Alex sitting beside Maria in the back seat, Max began to feel the apprehension he so frequently sensed when a crisis like this came up. Half of his body was pumping with adrenaline, dying to get there and do something but the rest of him knew that seeing Isabel would throw him off completely. She would remind him that, no matter what his powers might be, there was very little that he could do alone, especially when none of them had any idea who was inflicting this on them.   
  
It was with this conflict of emotions fighting for control of his body that Max pulled into Michael's driveway and clambered out, barely remembering to turn the engine off. He ran across the grass and through the front door, "Michael?" His friend was there in a flash, his face anxious as he glanced back into the living room.   
  
Max took in the scene, Isabel lying stretched out along the sofa, a rug pulled over her but no sign of any struggle or trouble. Max turned back to Michael, "What happened?"   
  
Michael ran one hand through his hair, "Didn't Alex tell you?"   
  
Liz paused beside Max then went in to see Isabel, crouching down beside her. Max watched her from the door, half inclined to shake his sister awake but determined to find out what exactly had happened.   
  
Michael beckoned him into the kitchen area, pouring his friend a glass of water, "Nobody seems to know. Alex said she tried to use her powers, test them, but ended up with a terrible headache. By the time I got to her she was fast asleep; it was a real job just to get her home. We should get Maria or Liz to tell your parents she is sleeping over at their house. The last thing we need is parental involvement."   
  
Max nodded, his mind racing with fear as to what might happen to Isabel. Michael understood his concern, he cared about her as much as her brother did and would do anything to make sure nothing happened to her. Max's voice sounded strained when he spoke, "Do you think it is the same thing that happened to you? That there's another device in Roswell somewhere?"   
  
Michael shrugged, "I don't know. I mean, I had the headache but I never tried to use my power. All we know is that Isabel got sick when she tried to use hers. I felt tired but only because I was sick. Isabel didn't seem to have the headache anymore by the time we made it here."   
  
Max took a much needed sip of his water and moved back into doorway where he got a better view of his sister. "That's a relief, I guess."   
  
Michael joined his friend, "Yeah, well, I won't rest easy until we find out what is going on, Maxwell. There are just too many question marks."   
  
Liz came into the kitchen, stuffing her hands in the back pockets of her jeans, "Well, she isn't burning up or anything. I don't think she is ill but she is sleeping like the dead."   
  
Michael looked from one friend to the other, wishing there was something he could say to make Max feel better. It was his own flesh and blood after all. "I guess she just needed rest."   
  
Max couldn't tear his eyes away from the shell of his sister, so peaceful yet so far from being okay. "No, I don't like it. I say we wake her up. We need some answers. First you get sick, then we find the device, then there are the dreams and now this."   
  
Michael's attention was immediately focused, "Dreams?"   
  
Max had almost forgotten that he still hadn't got around to talking about these dreams with Michael. He glanced uncomfortably at Liz who took the hint, "I'll go check on Isabel again." Max grabbed her arm, lightly, "No. You should hear this, too." Lowering his voice, conspiratorially, he went on, "I keep having dreams about the three of us. It was weird, there was something wrong about it. I just felt like...no, it sounds so..."   
  
Michael snapped, "No, go on, Maxwell."   
  
Avoiding his friends' attentive gaze, Max continued, "It was like Isabel wasn't one of us. I was frightened of her. I mean, maybe it was just a normal dream, but I could feel her using her powers...use them to destroy me."   
  
Michael's tone was more serious than Max could ever remember but he definitely believed him. Then he said, slowly, "Max, in your dream, did she kill you?"   
  
"Yes. Why?"   
  
Michael took a step back from him, "I've had the same dream. I saw her killing you and then me."   
  
Liz took Max's hand in her own, suddenly afraid of how much this was affecting them both. "What does that mean?" Neither boy responded. "Max?"   
  
He broke his gaze away from Michael, unspoken dread running between them, and looked down at the fearful eyes watching him. "I don't know, Liz, but we've got to find out. We've got to speak to Isabel."   
  
All of them stared blankly at the beautiful young girl sleeping tranquilly next door. How could someone whom they cared so much about and who loved them with all her heart have suddenly become such a threat, an enemy?  
  
**********  
  
Maria had been sorting out what arrangements were going to take place that night. Maria had phoned the Evans and told them that Isabel was staying over for a sleepover with her. Alex, meanwhile, had called out for pizza, knowing that worry was a hungry occupation and nobody was likely to cook at a time like this. He had got quite adept at making these fright sessions more comfortable for everyone and although no one said it, he knew that they appreciated his help. It was good to know that he might not have alien powers or anything but he could still have a use in the middle of the panic.   
  
By the time the delivery guy had arrived, everyone was ravenous, all except Max who was sitting quietly beside his sister, his chin resting on his hands as he watched the gentle rise and fall of her chest and even breathing.   
  
Liz crept up beside him and sat down on the edge of the coffee table, proffering a plate with some pepperoni pizza on it. "You should eat something, Max. You're no good to anyone half starved."   
  
He took the plate from her gratefully but didn't touch the food. "Why can't we wake her up, Liz? It's like her body is shutting down completely."   
  
Liz knew what he was thinking. "She's not dying, Max. When Michael was sick that time because of River Dog, there were signs. His body made that cocoon. Isabel hasn't done anything like that. Whatever this thing is, I know that we can beat it."   
  
She ran one hand down his arm and leaned her head against his shoulder, hoping to soothe him somewhat. He made no response at first, then ran his arm around Liz's waist, pulling her close to him. "So, I guess all we can do is wait."  
  
So wait is what they did, having tried everything from shaking Isabel to using smelling salts and talking to her. It was a surprise to all of them when about half an hour after they had given up, she began to stir. Michael was beside her in a moment, "Isabel?"   
  
She looked at him, puzzled, then looked groggily around the room. "Michael? What am I doing here?" Then, she saw the others standing around in varying states of distress. "You guys?"   
  
Michael helped her sit up and handed her the glass of water they had left beside her. "Don't you remember?"   
  
Isabel looked accusingly at Alex, her mind racing in an attempt to find the facts. Alex moved towards her and sat down, "Remember school, the molecular test you tried."   
  
Her face visibly relaxed as it all came flooding back and she nodded. Michael brushed her hair away from her face, "You've been asleep ever since."   
  
Isabel looked from Michael to Max, then Liz and Maria, suddenly feeling very self-conscious under the scrutiny of the whole group. She rubbed at her forehead as if trying to will the information into clarity in the muddle of her brain. "Yeah, I was just really tired."   
  
Michael looked at Max, questioningly and Isabel caught the exchange, "What is it? Max? Michael?"   
  
Realising that there was no backing down now, Max sat down opposite his sister and Isabel couldn't help but feel a little intimidated by the three boys surrounding her on all sides. Max wore the expression he always used when he was delivering some serious and usually rather unpleasant news. "Come on, Max. What is it? What does this mean?"   
  
Liz beckoned to Alex and Maria and motioned for them all to go outside, where they assembled on the front lawn. Maria was the first to ask, "What gives, Liz? Fill us in."   
  
Liz glanced back at the two guys and Isabel, looking so defensive.  
"Yeah, I will. I think Isabel needs to hear this from Max and Michael - alone."  
  
Back inside, Max ran his tongue over dry lips, "Okay. Michael and I have been having these dreams. We don't know what they mean, what they're trying to tell us or even if they're supposed to be visions..."   
  
Isabel was impatient, "Come on, Max. What were they about?"   
  
Michael released a pent up breath, unsure whether he was grateful that he didn't have to tell her or if it was worse to be on the sidelines. Max's pace quickened as he continued, "We both dreamed of the three of us in the desert, but...there was something different about you."   
  
He paused. How could he tell her that she killed him, and worse, that they were taking it all seriously. Isabel could feel her pulse racing as the panic grew inside her. What could be different about her? Was she dying? Michael realised that Max was floundering and he heard himself blurt out, "The person in our dream killed us both."   
  
Isabel looked from one to the other, her mind unable to digest the information at all. Finally, she croaked, "You mean I killed you."   
  
Max swallowed, trying hard to maintain eye contact with his sister despite his desperate desire to look away. Michael stood up; just being close to Isabel like that was almost unbearable. There was nothing he could do to comfort her, they had simply created chasms of difference between them.   
  
Isabel sat back against the sofa, her voice husky and low, "Do you really think I would do that? That I could?" Neither of them could answer her. "Max? You're my brother. Michael? After everything we have been through?"   
  
Max struggled to think of something to say. "Issy, we don't know what any of this means. I just thought that you ought to know."   
  
"Yeah, but you're afraid of me, Max. I can see it, I can feel it in both of you."   
  
Max fought the signals he was giving out to her, thinking hard about all the things which made her one of the most important people in his life, that made her his sister. Joining her on the sofa, he put an arm around her and hugged her. "We'll work this out. We'll find out what it means. Don't worry, Issy."   
  
At first Isabel stiffened in his arms, then relaxed against him, her grip tightening across his back. Right now, she wanted comfort more than anything else, to know that she was loved. Fighting the tears, she hugged Max tighter. When she closed her eyes, she could recall the time when she had been bullied at primary school and he had found her crying behind the gym. He had held her just like he was doing now and then made a ball of glowing light in front of her eyes which shifted and changed into different animals and shapes.   
  
Max looked over his sister's shoulder at Michael, both her faces grave and disappointed. Isabel had taken it fairly well, all things considering, but it didn't put them any closer to the truth.  
  
**********  
  
The moon was full and bright that night, giving the room a floodlit appearance, bathing the chairs and table in a silvery light. Max and Liz were curled up in a chair together, sleeping, while Michael and Maria were fast asleep on his bed. Clearly, since anxiety had taken its toll there wasn't much else for Alex to do except follow suit, snoozing with his head on his arms by the kitchen table.  
  
Max had no idea how long he had been asleep, but when he drifted back into consciousness he was reluctant to open his eyes, aware of Liz's body firmly up against his own. Despite all the problems and crises which the group had experienced in such a short length of time, Liz could always ground him and remind him of what they were striving for. She was his rock and comforter with perfect hair, the most beautiful deep brown eyes and soft touch.   
  
Rubbing his eyes with the back of one hand, Max squinted into the early morning light and looked around the room. It took a moment for him to register what was wrong, then he sat up, waking Liz in the process. "Mmm, Max? What is it?"   
  
She yawned, lazily, then followed his gaze to the empty sofa. Max called, "Isabel?"   
  
Michael and Maria woke with a start at the sound of Max's voice and followed it to the living room. Liz slipped past them to the bathroom, pushing the door open and shaking her head. "She's not here."   
  
Alex did a quick scan of the kitchen area and out the window, but the jeep was still there and he could see no sign of activity in the kitchen. Joining the rest of the group in the lounge, they stared despairingly at the sofa and Michael said, steadily, "I have a bad feeling about this."   
  
Max nodded, "Where would she go?"  
  
"I don't know, but we'd better find her and fast."  
  
********** 


	10. Part 10

UNDERCURRENTS - Part 10 (See Part One for disclaimers)  
By Allegra  
  
The jeep chugged unhappily back towards Roswell and Max checked the petrol gauge. They would need to tank up as soon as they hit the main road, wasting valuable time which Max could be spending looking for Isabel. Michael and Alex had headed off in the opposite direction with Maria in her car, checking all the usual outcrops of rock or caves, even the ones which they had never visited. The group knew that they were clutching at straws, but there was nothing else to do but search everywhere possible and hope.   
  
Liz had stayed with Max, hoping that her presence would ground him when she could see his sanity slipping into something verging on panic, which was rare for him and very disconcerting. Then Liz had to remind herself that Isabel had never been at risk like this before and they had always got some thread of evidence to follow through with. This was more than he and Michael could bear and not much better for the rest of them. If only they had something to go on, no matter how small.   
  
Liz looked at Max, suddenly noticing the small lines which ran across his forehead, emphasised in the morning light and making him look older than his eighteen years. Sometimes she found it hard to believe that beneath that rich tan and soft flesh there was an alien, someone who had seen planets light years away, seen Earth as a tinier speck in the distance than any astronaut. Who knew what Max had seen before his birth, what kind of existence he might have experienced but one which Liz could never quite imagine. At the same time, thinking about the possibilities of his past life made her feel even more distant from him than she did right now. How could she ever make him happy, make a life which he would be content to stay in for the rest of his life? No matter what they both tried to do, Max was never meant to be here, to have a human existence - a human relationship with her. He was destined for something else and someday that cosmic plan was going to call him back to the alien fold where Liz couldn't follow.  
  
Max pulled into the gas station and filled the tank then headed into the shop to pick up some drinks and snacks. He looked completely washed out when he got back in the driver's seat and Liz was tempted to tell him to give up for the day and get some rest but she knew that there was no point in trying to deter him. Turning to her and offering a chocolate bar, Max forced an affectionate smile to his lips, "Do you want me to drop you off on my way through town?"   
  
Liz shook her head. Okay, so this may not be the most exciting way to spend the time with her boyfriend but Isabel was missing and Max needed all the support she could give him. "No. I want to stay. We can take turn driving and besides, two pairs of eyes are better than one, right?"   
  
Relief spread across his face and whatever passed between them at that moment was nothing less than pure love and mutual dependence. "Thanks, Liz. That means a lot to me."   
  
She ran one hand down his hollowed cheek, "I know it does."   
  
Tearing himself away from her soothing touch, Max fired up the engine and they sped off towards town again to meet Michael and the others.  
  
**********  
  
"This is useless. We're never going to find her like this." Michael slammed his hand against the steering wheel and put his foot down on the accelerator again.   
  
Maria, who had been looking out of the window as if she expected Isabel to be waving from the side of the road somewhere, drily enquired, "Well, do you have a better idea? It's not like we have much to go on, Michael."   
  
She immediately resented her sharp words, knowing that it was only his fear and frustration talking and she hesitated before reaching out one hand to squeeze his own. "Hey, we'll find her, okay."   
  
Alex, who had been studying a local map in the back seat suddenly leant forward between the two of them. "There's an outcrop of rocks to the north which we haven't checked. It's a long shot but..."  
  
"It'll do." Michael took one hand off the wheel to grab the map before setting the car on course for the rock formation.   
  
Maria glanced at her watch, "Don't forget we are supposed to be meeting Max and Liz in twenty minutes."   
  
She wasn't expecting Michael to head back to town just to meet their friends and was preparing to launch into a lecture on why they had to get back to Roswell now but he didn't seem in any mood to get into an argument. "We'll just check out this place then go, okay?" It was amazing what familiar fear for Isabel's safety could do to Michael's attitude.  
  
In about ten minutes Maria could see the outcrop looming on the horizon and pulled herself upright in the passenger seat. Only when she shifted did she realise how numb her backside had got and how sticky the fake leather seats were against her bare legs. They had been searching for hours now and it felt like days, plus her legs were aching like crazy and Maria was just itching to get out of the car.   
  
As they neared the first substantially sized rock, Alex leaned forward in his seat, squinting into the sun soaked ground far ahead. "Hey, what's that?"   
  
Michael leaned forward to peer through the dusty windshield, "What's what? I can't see anything."   
  
Maria followed Alex's gaze and lighted on a small white blob growing larger directly ahead of them. "I can, it looks like a car or something...and it is heading this way."   
  
Michael's voice changed pitch with growing concern, "What's it doing way out here?"   
  
Alex pulled out a pair of binoculars and tracked across to the vehicle. "I don't know but it has dark tinted windows and some military logo on it. I say we take cover before they see us."   
  
Maria shook her head, "Don't you think they will have seen us already? We saw them."   
  
Michael swerved violently to the right, "No, we're still in the shelter of the rock. Alex, keep watching them." Halting and turning off the engine, the three of them waited until the van had passed. "Was it military?"   
  
Alex waited until it was a pin prick behind them before putting the binoculars down, "Yep. Definitely."   
  
Michael let out a long breath and narrowed his eyes, looking out towards the point from which the van had come. Then, he made a move to start up the engine again, "Well, let's go check it out then."   
  
Maria grabbed his hand away from the key. "No way. We should meet up with Liz and Max first. We all promised that we wouldn't do anything without the whole group. Besides, what if Isabel is in there? We need as much support as possible, especially Max's powers."   
  
Alex poked his head between the two front seats, "I second that. Whatever is there can wait an hour at least. There are military people crawling all over this area, it might be nothing. If it isn't, then we'll need back up. Plus there is the little issue of petrol. There's a gas station on the way back to town and you're going to need it."   
  
Michael looked angrily at the gauge and scratched his head, contemplating the pros and cons of being so cavalier as to take on the military alone. "Fine, let's go then."   
  
Maria breathed a sigh of relief. She never enjoyed being part of these grand rescue schemes the group were so fond of and she especially didn't like the ones which were 'organised' (she used the term loosely) by Michael. He wasn't fond of using brain over brawn and that nearly always got everyone into trouble. Even he had to admit that playing heroics was not going to help Isabel at all and Max was bound to remind him of the importance of stealth in any situation. Plus, she was looking forward to unsticking herself from the car seat.  
  
**********  
  
"Where are they? They should have been here twenty minutes ago."   
  
Liz took another bite of the sandwich she had just grabbed from the Crashdown while they were waiting. "Don't worry Max, they'll be here. Just give them a few more minutes."  
  
"I don't like this. At a time like this they should be more careful than ever."   
He paused then looked at Liz, his stare penetrating her to the core. "Do you think they have found her?"   
  
Liz didn't know what she should say; it would be wrong to give Max hope when there might be nothing but, quite frankly, she had no idea whether they would find Isabel or not. Fortunately, she was spared having to reply when Maria's car, covered in desert dust, pulled up outside the Crashdown and the three of them, minus Isabel, got out. Liz saw Max visibly shrink when the realisation that his sister was still out there somewhere had hit home.   
  
Michael went to the counter and ordered three drinks for them while Maria and Alex joined Max and Liz. Both of them looked completely wiped out, but Alex's eyes were sparkling with something resembling determination and hope, which Max immediately picked up on. "What did you find?"   
  
Maria ran a hand across her sweating brow, wishing that she had time to stop for a shower but tried to focus on the more urgent problem of their missing friend. "We saw a military vehicle out in the desert."   
  
Liz leaned forward in her seat, her hand tightening its grip on Max's.   
"Did it see you? What happened?"   
  
Alex shook his head, taking over the story himself, "No. The weird thing is that there is nothing out there. I mean, we had been driving for ages and I found an outcrop of rocks marked there so we went to check it out."   
  
Max frowned, "So what were the military doing out there?"   
  
Alex shrugged, "Exactly."   
  
Michael squashed onto the seat beside Maria and put the tray of drinks down on the table. "We figured we should wait for you until we did anything."   
  
At this, Maria and Alex turned to him in unison, her faces skeptical and Michael glared. "What?! Okay, so Maria and Alex figured we should wait. Whatever."   
  
Max knocked back the last of his cherry cola and grabbed his jacket off the back of the booth. "Well, let's go then."   
  
Liz looked from one tired face to the other. Michael and Max might be desperate to get out there and play heroics but Maria and Alex needed a moment's rest before they could be useful musketeers again. She pulled Max back down into his seat, "Give them a moment to rest first, Max."  
  
"But Isabel is out there!"  
  
"Maybe she is, but what good are we if we are half dead on our feet?" Max paused but Michael swigged his drink and made to follow him, "Fine, stay here then."   
  
Max held him back, "No, Liz is right. I'm just not thinking straight. Ten more minutes won't make any difference. Let's just have something to drink first." Michael glanced longingly at the car parked outside then back at the haggard faces of his friends and relented.   
  
**********  
  
Isabel Evans found herself standing in a plain white room with no windows but she couldn't remember how she had got there or even where she was supposed to be. As the familiarity of the surroundings began to sink in, she felt her heart sink when she remembered seeing Max in a room just like this when Agent Pierce had captured him. Oh God, she thought, this is the end. This is where I am going to die. The last thing she could recall was Michael and Max telling her about their dreams, about what she had done to them. Maybe they wouldn't come for her now, maybe they would leave her here to die.   
  
What was an even worse idea to contemplate was the thought that she might have been brought here because of what she was going to do. Perhaps it was fated that she should be here, perhaps someone knew that she was of use to them as a traitor to her own kind. The horror of becoming Pierce's ally ran through Isabel's brain, but she couldn't imagine how that could ever happen. She was coherent and in control of herself, nobody could make her do anything that she didn't want to.   
  
Isabel was her own keeper and she would use her powers against anyone who tried to do her or the others any harm. It was only then that she remembered the incident at school and how she had been unable to use her powers for even the most menial task. Sinking down in the corner of the room, Isabel waited to see what would happen next, what tortures lay in store for her.   
  
**********  
  
Max had been driving pretty calmly, all things considered, but Liz had to admit that she was fairly relieved when Michael insisted that he take over and give his friend a break. It was a long trek across the desert and they had nearly reached the rock outcrop which Alex had been talking about. Maria was more relieved than any of them since she had directed them incorrectly a few miles back, refusing to back down despite being completely outnumbered. It culminated in her taking them to a small town nearby which was even less interesting than Roswell, if that were possible, and she had been feeling suitably chastised and humiliated ever since.   
  
Alex pointed through the windscreen at the rock looming up ahead, its shadow cast towards them like some monster's arms reaching out for its prey. Max leaned over the side of the jeep, looking for any sign of human life, "Are you sure? It doesn't look like much."   
  
Michael backed Alex up, "No, he's right. That's the rock we hid behind when we saw the van."   
  
Knowing how her best friend was feeling, Liz looked to Maria for affirmation, "Maria? Do you remember this, too?"   
  
Her voice sounded tired as she craned her neck reluctantly over the side of the back seat, "Yeah, I guess so."   
  
Much to her amazement, nobody said a word about her recent mistake and a few minutes later track marks could be seen in the sand. Michael turned the jeep away from them, "I'll park us round the other side of the rock just in case. It's not like we want to go through the front door."   
  
Nobody opposed him so he sped across the open space and into the shadows of the largest rock, grateful that Max had gone for a jeep in black instead of the red he had his eye on for ages.  
  
Leaping from the front seat, Max helped Liz out of the back seat, "Okay, I say that we split up."   
  
Maria got out of the jeep with difficulty, silently a little annoyed that Michael hadn't been as gentlemanly as Max and offered her some help. Brushing off some desert dust from her black trousers, she pulled out her mobile phone. "Liz, do you have your mobile? We should have some way of contacting each other."   
  
Liz nodded and Alex patted down his trouser pockets, "Yeah, I've got mine, too."   
  
Michael glanced towards the rear side of the rock, wondering what they were going to find there or if there was anything at all. "Okay, Alex, you stay with the jeep and call if you see anyone coming and we'll contact you for back up if we need it."   
  
Alex was both disappointed and relieved at his duty; part of him felt out of the loop when he wasn't actually in the melee but neither did he want to die or get into any government trouble. Being look-out was not exactly the most exciting job in the world but it was safer and pretty pivotal - everyone's lives depended on his awareness and accuracy.   
  
Michael looked at Max, "I guess we'll split up when we get inside...if there is an inside."   
  
Max nodded and grabbed Liz's hand. She offered Alex a reassuring but apprehensive smile; who knew what would happen before they saw each other again. Following her boyfriend's lead, she jogged towards the back of the rock.   
Max halted suddenly at the edge of the rock, leaning slowly out into the late afternoon light. Nothing could have prepared them for what they saw.   
  
Behind the enormous rock was a large wall running from one edge of the rock to the other, creating a protected courtyard. It was made of barbed wire, wound tightly and topped with metal spears to prevent easy access. There were a couple of sentries standing at the two far corners but Max could see that there was no sign of the fence being monitored by any security system. There were no cameras and no wires, not even the tell tale box with a red light flashing.   
  
Max motioned for Michael to come and see, then whispered, "I think I can slip through that gap in the fence if we can just distract the guards up there."   
  
Michael nodded and pulled his friend back from the edge of the rock, "I'll call Alex and tell him to drive the jeep out in front of the fence and distract them."   
  
Maria flicked open her cell phone and relayed the message to Alex.   
  
A few minutes later, they could hear the familiar geekish tone of Alex Whitman causing trouble on the other side of the fence and it wasn't long before he had the attention of both guards. Taking the opportunity, Max braced himself against the piercing pain of the barbed wire puncturing wounds into his fingers and palms as he tore a large enough hole in the closest section of fence. Once he had squeezed through, he put his sweater in the hole and helped the others through after him, anxious that none of them should hurt themselves in the process.  
  
Liz watched in horror from the shelter of the rock as the blood trickled down Max's fingers and onto the earth below but he barely seemed to notice. She resisted the urge to stop him and force him to bandage them because she knew that they had mere seconds before Alex's antics no longer amused the sentries.   
Just on the other side of the fence was a thin metal door inset into the rock face which Michael immediately focused his energy on until the tangy, pungent smell of melting metal filled their noses and he could push the door open without any trouble.   
  
Once they were inside, all of them breathed a sigh of relief that the first and most difficult hurdle had been overcome. Max was confident that he had the power to deter any random guards which they might meet on the corridors. The interior sent a chill down his spine when he recognised the layout as similar to the place which Agent Pierce had held him. The idea that Isabel might be somewhere in here made him shudder and he could almost feel the pain from when the surgeon's scalpel had cut into his chest. Was it possible that they were doing something equally reprehensible to his sister while they had been sitting around in the Crashdown or driving across the desert? His morbid thoughts were interrupted by Michael, "Come on, let's go."   
  
Liz grabbed his arm and pulled him back when Max made to follow him. "No, Max! Your hands."   
  
Michael glanced back at the blood still flowing freely from his palms. "Here, I'll do it."   
  
He took Max's hands in his own and cleared his mind of the lurking panic which permeated his brain, focusing all his energies on Max and healing him. Liz and Maria watched, mesmerized, as the wounds began to fade first into pinpricks of blood then bright red blotches and finally clear, healthy pink skin. Taking a step back to admire his handiwork, Michael looked cheerfully at Max, "Thank me later, Maxwell."   
  
Steering Maria down the corridor, he paused at the next corner and saw a crossroad further up. "Okay, I guess this is where we split up. Maria and I will take the right, you and Liz take the left."   
  
Maria and Liz exchanged anxious looks, half wishing that they could hug each other in a fond farewell but knowing how final the act would feel. Liz whispered, "Be careful," then followed Max in the opposite direction.  
  
********** 


	11. Part 11

UNDERCURRENTS - Part 11 (See Part 1 for disclaimers)  
By Allega  
  
Isabel had no idea how long she had been lying there but eventually tiredness had overcome her. Now, the foremost thing in her mind was the terrible aching in her neck from sleeping on a hard floor with no pillow under her head. Remembering where she was, she sat up and rubbed tiredness from her eyes. It was at that point that she caught sight of a man's face peering at her through a hatchway half way up the far wall. As soon as they made eye contact the hole closed and a moment later the man had stepped through a disappearing door in the wall. One moment Isabel could see out into a room beyond her own and then the wall had replaced itself seamlessly again.   
  
She stood up shakily, trying to control the urge to scream or cry, to do anything which might make it obvious how scared she really was. The man was dressed smartly, just as Agent Pierce had been, but he had a lab coat on over his suit which immediately put him in the category of scientist or doctor - the most dangerous kind. He moved closer to her and, despite his fairly youthful years and dark blonde hair, Isabel could see the haggard lines of someone who has seen much stress and pressure over the years. Small wrinkles had already turned into deep grooves around his dark brown eyes and his cheek bones were gaunt, creating lines from his aquiline nose down to the chin.   
  
"Isabel Evans. I am terribly sorry that you have been left alone all day like this and in such surroundings, too. I am afraid that your memories of places like this are far from pleasant."   
  
Isabel resisted the urge to shrink back against the wall behind her. He must have known all about Max which meant that he must have been an ally of Agent Pierce before his death. "My memories?" The man reached out one hand in a friendly gesture and Isabel hesitated before accepting it. On the one hand she wanted to get out of there as soon as possible but until they started hurting her, there was no reason to create trouble for herself so she would oblige. The white panels shifted again at the far end of the room and the man stepped through into the next room where Isabel saw that they were surrounded by monitors and print outs providing data on geological readings and seismic waves.   
  
"Ignore all of this, it is a geology experiment on the rock below us. Anyway, yes, your memories are of your brother, Max's, experience, aren't they?"   
  
Isabel didn't answer, still somewhat rattled by what was going on. The man took her into a much more homely area with a sofa and small kitchenette. Sitting her down he produced lemonade and two glasses, constantly talking about the various different, irritating geography experts who showed up all the time and wrecked his print outs. Isabel sat in silence, taking in every word of what he said whilst casting a cursive look around the room to see what kind of escape routes were open to her. The man handed her the lemonade and sat down opposite her in a cosy armchair.   
  
"I expect you are wondering where you are and how you got here?"   
  
Isabel began to relax a bit; he wasn't talking like some one who wanted to kill her and, although she knew he might just be trying to extract information, she didn't see any harm in him so far. "Yes."  
  
"Well, one of the soldiers found you in the desert. He brought you here because it was close and because I am a doctor. You see, this is a military base really. This compound is a fair few feet underground and has been the centre for a great deal of study into unidentified wave frequencies."   
  
Isabel nodded, pretending to be totally uninterested, but she couldn't remember anything that had happened since the conversation with Michael and Max. How could she have got all the way out to some geological base so far away from any proper hospital?   
  
"Anyway, working for the government has its perks and I had dug up some very interesting information concerning your lineage. It seems that your parents are unknown and that you and your brother have been a source of interest in relation to UFOlogy for quite some time."   
  
Isabel stiffened. "What do you mean?"   
  
The man's tone suddenly altered from the jovial and pleasantly bumbling scientist to a clinical, no nonsense attitude. "Oh, come on, Isabel. You don't have to play me for a fool. I know all about Agent Pierce and what he did to Max. The evidence of his blood samples are still in storage somewhere, but that is proof enough for us. You see, the interesting wave patterns which we have been recording down here seem to come from some kind of organic source but the waves are much too large and complex to be explained by any earthly, naturally occurring object. Now, it would seem logical considering all the stories about Roswell, that one should explore the avenue of possibility opened up by the word 'alien'. My research has shown that if replicated and tweaked to a certain frequency these waves can have an extraordinary effect on the alien race."   
  
He watched Isabel's face while she tried to remain passive despite all the thoughts and questions which were running through her head. "I mean, I assume that Michael is like you, right? He did do us proud in our research."   
  
Isabel couldn't fight the questions burning in her anymore, "That was you? But how..."  
  
"We knew who you were and my colleagues spent many hours building that device which you so callously smashed to pieces. However, by that time we already knew its reaction. It is just a shame that the extent of its effects were cut short."   
  
Isabel felt something inside her snap and she lunged for the man, but he threw her back against the sofa like a rag doll with bruising force. "Oh, Isabel! Don't forget what happened at school? Your powers are gone. I control them now."   
  
Isabel fought back the anger and tears which she could feel prickling behind her eyes and she steadied her voice, "So you made me come out here? You did that to Michael?"  
  
"On the contrary, Isabel Evans might feel that she has been forced into this, but Isabel is also Lab Rat Number One who will volunteer her expertise. Recent research in Roswell and the experiments on your brother provided invaluable insight into your structure and, although you all appear to be different, somehow we found a way to control you but not your two friends. Still, one is better than nothing and you will help us do the rest."   
  
Isabel balled her fists, pressing her fingernails into the soft flesh of her palms, "Help you do what?"  
  
"Help me control Max and Michael."  
  
"Never."   
  
Settling back into the armchair, a sly smile began to creep across Dr. Palmano's face and Isabel began to feel her stomach churning round and round. She was completely outnumbered and vulnerable, but worst of all, whatever Michael and Max had dreamed was about to come true. That was the last thought Isabel was capable of having before she blacked out.  
  
**********  
  
"Michael, what is this place?"   
  
Maria was silenced with a finger to her lips, then after checking the next bend he turned back to her.   
  
"I don't know but there must be some fire escape plan somewhere around here."   
  
They looked blankly around them at the numerous possible paths to take, none of which seemed particularly inviting. Maria wished that she had one of her vials of aromatherapy oil with her but she had to try and envisage the beautiful forest which went with her cedar oil. Every time she began to forget about the peril they were in, the clinical smell of cleaning fluid and polished metal filled her nose and drew her back to reality. Michael seemed unaware of her fear, despite her sweaty hand gripping onto his arm as he tugged her down first one corridor then backed up and went down another. He seemed so sure of where he was going until they came across yet another waste facility or empty office and Maria was become increasingly concerned about the number of near misses they must have had. Considering how top secret this compound must be, they hadn't even hidden from a single guard and while she was pleased it was also somewhat unnerving.   
  
Whatever psychic powers she thought that she might have, Maria was suddenly paralysed when two soldiers appeared around the corner and spotted them immediately. Michael grabbed her arm and made a run for it but he heard the familiar and deadly sound of a gun's safety catch being disarmed behind them, "Stop!"   
  
Michael could feel his heart pounding in his chest and hear it resounding in his ears as he cast an urgent look in Maria's direction and they both raised their hands slowly above their heads. The heavy footsteps moved closer and Michael felt his arms pulled roughly behind his back and the cold steel handcuffs tightly bound against the bones in his wrist. The second soldier did not handcuff Maria but grabbed her arm tightly above the elbow and the pair were marched away down a corridor which they had already explored and knew full well led directly to some kind of holding cell.  
  
**********  
  
Max and Liz had found the floor plan by one of the exit doors and had hidden themselves in a disused generator room where they could try and figure out where someone would choose to take Isabel. It was while they were deeply engrossed in conversation over one particularly vague corner of the map which Liz felt certain was a risky place to enter alone when they heard the door creak open. They remained completely silent and motionless for a moment and Max was about to poke his head up above the pile of boxes which shielded them from view when a voice whispered, "Max? Michael?"   
  
Liz stared at Max in disbelief and mouthed 'Isabel' at him. He pushed himself into a crouching position, about to stand up but Liz pulled him down, "What if it is a trick, Max?"   
  
Shrugging her off, he peered around the boxes and saw the familiar blonde hair and frightened brown eyes then stood up, "Isabel, thank God!"   
  
Her face lit up when she saw him and Liz followed Max, all of them hugging each other in turn. Max pulled away, "How did you know we were here?"   
  
Isabel glanced frantically towards the door and pulled them towards their hiding place, "I could feel you, then I followed it here. I was so scared, Max. I'm so glad you're here."  
  
"So am I. Now we've just got to find Michael and Maria and get out of here before someone sees us."   
  
Liz nodded and pulled out her cell phone, "What if someone hears the tone?"   
  
Max and Isabel looked at one another in a moment of doubt, then Isabel said, "I can feel his presence, too. I know my way round here well enough. Come with me."   
  
Beckoning them into the hallway, Isabel led them away from the entrance they had used and deeper into the compound. Liz held Max's hand tightly, afraid to let him go for a moment. They were so close to escaping that the fear of being discovered was growing with every step that she took. Pushing open a door, Max and Liz found them in the room which Isabel had first seen with all the electrical instruments.   
  
As the door swung shut behind them, Dr. Palmano stepped into view, "Good job, Miss Evans. You are a very diligent worker."   
  
Max started for the door with Liz but stopped when he realised that Isabel had made no attempt to move. She was simply standing mute, staring just over Dr. Palmano's shoulder at the wall with a vacant expression in her eyes.   
  
Max tried to pull her with him, "Come on, Isabel!" but she remained stock still. Within moments two armed guards had appeared outside the door and Max had to admit defeat.   
  
Liz stared at Isabel, unable to digest what was going on while Max made a lunge for the doctor, pushing him up against the far wall, "What the hell did you do to her?! What did you do to my sister?!"   
  
Dr. Palmano did not seem the slightest bit phased by Max's aggression and he was quickly pulled off by one of the guards. "Take them to the cells. I'll be along shortly. Isabel and I have something to discuss first."   
  
Max tried to wriggle free of the soldier's grasp but he was too strong and he had to give in when Liz was marched out of the door, allowing himself to be led tacitly to the holding cells.  
  
**********  
  
Maria was relieved when Michael was released into the same cell as her, making the prospect of staying there for any period of time less awful to contemplate. Waiting until the two soldiers had left them alone, he rattled the door of the cell then focused on trying to dissolve the lock inside. It was an impossible task and after a few moments his concentration wavered and Michael kicked the door hard, hurting his foot and making himself angrier in the process. "Damn it!"   
  
Maria jumped at the sound it made and felt even more frightened by Michael's sudden aggression. "What?"   
  
He slumped down on the makeshift bed beside her, "It is some kind of reinforced metal, I can't shift it."   
  
"What are we going to do?"  
  
"I don't know. Just wait I guess."   
  
Maria moved closer to Michael and he wrapped one arm around her, "Do you think Max and Liz have found Isabel?"   
  
Michael let out a long breath and scuffed his trainer against the concrete floor. "Who knows. I hope so. God knows what they might do to her in here."   
  
The sound of a key in the lock brought Michael to his feet while Maria wasn't too sure that her legs were strong enough to support her right now. Fighting momentary shock, Michael felt his heart sink as Max and Liz were deposited into the cell opposite, unceremoniously. "What happened?"   
  
Max's voice was barely controlled but even as he retorted, "I could ask the same of you."   
  
Liz moved towards the bars and focused her attention on Maria, "Maria, are you okay?"   
  
Suppressing the panic in her head, she smiled at her friend's concern, "Yeah, I guess. Did you see Isabel?"   
  
Liz glanced at Max, questioningly and with an element of guilt. Michael caught the exchange and pounced on it, "What happened? Where is she?"   
  
Max sat down on the bed and put his head in his hands. "Max! What happened?"   
  
Rubbing his eyes wearily, Max looked across at Michael, "I don't know."   
  
Liz quietly added, "They did something to her."  
  
"What do you mean 'something'? Come on, Liz."   
  
Liz looked at Max again, knowing that he was holding in everything that he felt, that he hated not knowing but felt responsible for what had happened. Finally, he spoke, "He's controlling her, making her do things that she doesn't have any control over."   
  
Michael started pacing the cell, "Who is?"   
  
Max's voice grew increasingly fatigued, "I don't know, some doctor." Liz snapped her fingers in the air and Max asked, "What is it?"  
  
"I know I've seen him somewhere before. He is so familiar." She stopped and searched her mind to place the face until it finally clicked, "He was the guy in the newspaper, the doctor who was in charge of controlling the flu epidemic. He gave a statement, Pamalo, Palamo."   
  
Max took a deep breath, "Dr. Palmano."  
  
"Yeah, that's it."   
  
Maria could tell that Michael was getting pretty agitated, which was never a good thing, while Max was seriously flagging and evidently beating himself up over everything that was happening. It was only when silence had fallen between them all and they were sitting around pathetically on the floor and beds that it hit Maria. "Oh my God!"   
  
Michael turned to her, his mind alert and racing with adrenaline, "What?"   
  
Maria swallowed, trying to relieve her increasingly dry throat, "Your dreams. Is that what's going to happen?"   
  
Michael had almost forgotten the entire conversation he and Max had shared with Isabel the previous day. Now it all came flooding back and he didn't like the feeling it gave him. As he looked over at Max, it was obvious that he was feeling exactly the same way. Liz tried hard to suppress the tears which had been trying to push their way to the surface all afternoon as she looked at the shell of her boyfriend. It was hard to imagine a time when Max was carefree and smiling, "Max?"   
  
She didn't really know why she called his name. After all, what could he say to reassure her when it was his own life on the line and Liz knew perfectly well that he didn't understand what was going on any more than she did. "In your dream...Isabel killed you."   
  
Maria moved over to Michael and hugged him tightly, not sure what she should say but knowing that she just needed to be close to him.  
  
After trying to contact Alex on the mobile unsuccessfully because of their underground location, the four of them sat in silence for what seemed like years. It was just when they had all reached a point of utter despair that the door was unlocked and Dr. Palmano entered together with two heavy set guards.   
"It is good to see that you are rested."   
  
Max gestured to Michael, trying to prevent his hot headed friend from doing anything rash but when the doctor moved close to the bars, Michael grabbed him by the collar, "You bastard! What did you do to Isabel?!"   
  
It didn't take much for Dr. Palmano to extricate himself from the boy's grip and he backed away with a half smile but Maria could tell that he was still afraid. He may think that he had the measure of these aliens but it was obvious that he was still wary of what they might do next. Nodding to the two guards, Palmano watched them open Max and Liz's cell, "You want to know what I did to your sister, Max? Come with me and I'll show you."   
  
Liz wouldn't let go of his arm but she was shoved back into the cell followed by Maria. Michael spared a glance back at his frightened girlfriend, suddenly aware that he might never see her again or smell the heady scent of her oils and her soft blonde hair. It wasn't like him to get sentimental, but as the cell doors divided them, he took in every curve and freckle - just in case.  
  
**********  
  
Isabel sat huddled in the corner of the comfy room which Palmano had left her in earlier. Her mind felt numb, like she wouldn't be able to form a coherent thought if her life depended on it - and maybe it did. She felt certain that something had happened which she couldn't quite put her finger on, that she had done something but she couldn't remember. The feeling of losing control, of madness clung to her and Isabel couldn't shake it off no matter what she did. Every now and again her mind wandered back to the conversation with Max and Michael, to the dream they had been having. Was it possible that it had been a vision? Maybe she was sitting here with their blood on her hands and she didn't know what she had done.   
  
A moment later Dr. Palmano knocked on the door as if it were her private space but Isabel knew it had been locked, "Isabel, your friends are here. Come and see them."   
  
Not knowing if it were a trick or not, Isabel meekly followed him down the corridor, her brain beyond functioning to try and escape.   
  
So it was with blunt surprise that she saw Michael and Max in the same cell that she had found herself in when she arrived. Max's face was pale, no doubt because the room was too much of a reminder of how he was tortured by Pierce. Palmano closed the door and watched the three of them from the other side of the glass, enjoying the stand-off which ensued. Nobody spoke, Michael and Max safely maintaining their distance while Isabel tried to see where the door had gone, almost wishing that Palmano would return. At least Michael and Max were alive which meant that she hadn't done anything to them.   
  
Her voice was hoarse when she spoke, "Max? Is it really you?"   
  
His stony expression melted in a moment and he ran to her, hugging her, "Isabel, I wasn't sure if it was you or..."   
  
Isabel pulled away, "Or what?"   
  
Michael stared menacingly at the walls, knowing full well that they were being monitored and watched somehow, just as Max had been with Pierce, then he whispered, "He did something to you, Issy."   
  
Max tried not to frighten his sister as he filled her in on what had happened to him and Liz. Michael put a protective arm around her shoulder when the tears started to well up in her soulful eyes, "Don't cry, Issy. We'll beat this, okay. It'll be all right."   
  
She shook her head, weakly, "No it won't. What about your dreams? I can't..."   
  
Max took her hands in his own, forgetting that Palmano was probably watching and listening to their every word outside the room, "No, Isabel. You have to fight it. When you feel him moving in, fight it."   
  
Isabel's body was wracked with sobs, "I can't Max. It's like I'm not even there anymore. I'm not there and I can't control it."   
  
Michael felt the uncontrollable anger rising inside him, knowing that Palmano was doing this to them and he was helpless to stop him. Max thought hard of everything that had happened to them over the past months, trying to imagine a way that they could conquer Palmano and destroy this sadistic experiment. "We'll fight it together, Is. All of our energy put together must be able to do it."  
  
"But look what happened to Michael..."   
  
Michael looked at Max, frowning, "Palmano made me sick?"   
  
Isabel nodded, wiping errant tears from her eyes. A whirring sound directed their attention to where the door appeared and the panels moved apart to allow Palmano entrance. "So, you see Max, there is very little that any of you can do to prevent my Isabel from doing her job."   
  
The three got to their feet, Michael keeping his arm draped around Isabel's waist. "And I am sorry for what happened to you, Michael. It was a simple experiment which needed to be performed. I'm sure you understand."   
  
Controlling his rising temper, Michael tightened his grip around Isabel. Then, he felt Max's strength coming through him in waves, uniting them against Palmano. Together they focused all their energy on his body, trying to find some way of penetrating his mind and destroying him. For a moment, Max was sure they had him, but a second later a third power joined them and Max began to feel Isabel turning his concentration away from the doctor. It was like she was bending his mind, mirroring the images he sent out and throwing them back to him. She sent back twisted pictures of their childhood together, all the times that they had argued and times when she had won. Max tried to fight her but the images were coming too fast and his mind couldn't keep up.   
  
The throbbing in his head suddenly altered to a sharp pain in his chest and he dimly realised that Isabel was trying to hurt him, trying to destroy him from the inside out.  
  
Michael was still concentrating on Palmano and just when Max was weakening, the throbbing mutating into a tingling, light headed sensation, Isabel turned in a flurried motion to their friend and stretched her arm out towards him. In a split second, Michael was hurled across the room and crumpled to the floor in a heap. Max was still recovering his strength and when he looked at his friend he could see the blood trickling down his forehead onto the white floor. Okay, he thought, I'm on my own. Realising that Palmano had retreated into the adjacent room in order to watch Isabel in the smug comfort of his doctor's chair, Max prepared to focus all his efforts on her, to help her fight whatever Palmano was doing to her.  
  
It was disconcerting at first, looking into the eyes of his own sister but seeing only passive blankness in response. Her eyes were cold and hard, piercing Max's brain with negative images. He fought them off with pictures of their childhood, of their parents and their first day at school. Still, Isabel did not waver and it wasn't long before Max's energy was flagging. Where was her strength coming from? None of them had been able to control their powers with such precision before and Max could feel her homing in on specific parts of his brain, distorting the information stored there and breaking him down.   
  
Gritting his teeth, Max tried to remind himself that this was no longer his sister anymore, Isabel had been replaced with a thing devoid of emotion. If he was going to crush Palmano's scheme Max knew that he had to treat Isabel like an enemy, play it her way - without love or filial affection. Throwing himself into it, he homed in on her, trying to find a weakness in her attack but it was not easy. Every time he thought that he had found a target, Isabel would change her strategy and knock him off. Max could feel the sweat trickling down his cheek but kept his focus on his sister. The intense energy pouring out of them both short-circuited the lighting in the building, plunging them into darkness before the low red glow of emergency lights came on. Crackles and sparks of electrical surges burst from the walls and panels in the next door room.  
  
The two aliens held each other off for what seemed like years but was only about ten minutes until Max suddenly felt a paralysing pain his chest. Somehow Isabel had divided her strength into two, one part of it messing with his head while the other was squeezing tighter around his heart muscle. The breath was caught from his lungs and he fell back against the wall, struggling to keep from blacking out. His lungs felt like they were bursting and his heart beat came in strained thuds and Max couldn't keep up with anything Isabel was doing. Isabel moved closer to him, leaning down over his convulsing body and that was the last thing he saw as she loomed above him before the room began to fade and a veil of blackness claimed him.  
  
From behind the safety of the glass, Palmano watched Max's head loll to one side and his clenched fist fall limply to his side. On the adjacent wall, Michael's crumpled form lay inert, a pool of blood forming around his head and one hand still outstretched towards where Isabel had been standing. Stepping into the room, Palmano relished the idea of showing Isabel the damage that she had done to her best friend and her brother. He tapped her lightly on the shoulder and her eyelids flickered for a second before focusing back on the room and her 'mentor'. "Isabel. You did well."   
  
For a moment she looked confused and then followed Palmano's gaze to the motionless form of Max, her hand flying to her mouth in a gesture of utter disbelief, "Oh my God, Max!"   
  
She knelt beside him, taking his head in her hands and willing him back to life. He gave no response and Isabel placed one hand over his chest, closing her eyes against the horror of the room and everything it represented. Yet, there was nothing that she could do, her powers were gone except when Palmano chose to activate them. It was just like the dream, she had killed Max without even knowing it.   
  
The doctor leaned down beside and gently pulled her hand away from her brother, adopting a soothing tone, "It's all right, Isabel. I know it is difficult to accept now, but in time to come you will understand my motives. Your kind are a threat to us and we need to protect ourselves."   
  
For a moment, Isabel thought she was going to rip his throat out but she knew that there was no point. Besides, she had killed Max, there was nothing left for her to do now. She might as well admit defeat and let them torture her or kill her, anything would be better than this horrific burden.   
  
As she turned towards the door, Isabel saw Michael lying on the floor and her heart lurched in her chest, "Michael!"   
  
Palmano allowed her to go to him, watching her with a degree of curiosity as to how aliens responded to emotional stimuli. Pierce's tests had proven that they had feelings, but to what extent these functioned was still somewhat of a mystery. Clearly, they went all the way. Isabel moved towards her friend in slow motion, afraid but certain of what she would find. She rolled him over gently, tentatively touching his face, covering her hands with his blood in the process. She placed two shaking fingers over his wrist, vainly hoping to find a pulse and a wave of relief washed over her when she felt a strong pulse.   
  
Pushing herself to her feet, Isabel glanced at Palmano, hoping that he hadn't seen the look of faint happiness in her eyes, but he seemed unaware of anything unusual and led her away from the scene.  
  
**********  
  
Are you still enjoying this? Please, please feedback! :) 


	12. Part 12

UNDERCURRENTS - Part 12 (See Part 1 for disclaimers)  
By Allegra  
  
Maria and Liz sat as close to each other as they could without physically clutching onto one another for dear life. No matter what the problem had been or the danger they had all been in, no one had been imprisoned like this without any hope of anyone finding them or of saving themselves. Alex would probably have been caught as soon as Palmano realised that they were all trespassers and besides, Michael had told him not to follow them in no matter what happened. Alex was all they had to trace them back to Roswell and someone who might have been able to save them.   
  
Maria leaned her head back against the hard cell wall, "What do you think they're doing to them?"   
  
Liz could barely think beyond the panic which had set in when Max had been taken from her. "I don't know."   
  
"I wish there was something we could do. I feel so helpless."  
  
"That's because we are, Maria. This is top security stuff, there's no way we can pick the locks or kung-fu our way out of the compound."   
  
Maria took offence to Liz's suddenly bitter tone, knowing that as soon as her friend lost her optimism they were all lost. "Well, have you tried?"   
  
Liz sighed in dejection, "Tried what?"  
  
"Tried picking the locks." Liz looked at her with a sceptical face and put her head in her hands.   
  
Maria was not about to back down and she pulled a grip from her blonde hair and marched purposefully over to the lock, bending the metal grasp apart and shoving it into the keyhole. Liz looked up, half hopeful that Maria's positive outlook would be enough to save them both. Screwing her face up close to the hole, Maria dug the hair grip in and then pulled away angrily, yelping in surprise and sucking on her finger. Liz moved closer in concern, "What happened?"   
  
"I just broke a nail, that's what. Look at it, Liz! Now I'm going to have to resort to press-ons."   
  
Liz rolled her eyes at her friend's melodrama then took over the job. Suddenly, the lights flickered once and shut down, replaced with red spotlights followed by a loud clicking sound and the cell door swung open slightly. Maria tore her eyes away from nursing her broken fingernail and stared at the door in fear. "What did you do?"   
  
Liz, still holding the hair grip in one hand, got to her feet, "I don't know. Nothing. I barely touched it."   
  
Maria stood up and took a tentative step out of the cell, half expecting some laser gun to blast her to smithereens, but nothing happened - no alarm bells or soldiers. "Was it us? Did we do it?"   
  
Liz pushed her friend out into the main holding area and looked up at the red spotlights, "I don't think so. It looks like the whole unit went down. Look."   
  
Glancing out into the corridor, they could both see that all the electrics were down in the main compound, too. Maria grabbed Liz's arm as she opened the door, "Do you think something happened to Max and Michael?"  
  
"I don't know but we're going to find out."   
  
Bracing themselves for whatever might happen, the two girls made their way in the direction that Michael and Max had been taken.   
  
Passing a group of guards huddled around a monitor system, studying the underground maps for the source of the power failure, Liz knew that whatever crisis had taken place, it didn't involve them so they were more or less free to sneak around. Rounding a corner, she grounded to a halt, forcing Maria into the back of her, "This is it. This is where Max and I were caught."   
  
"So I guess we don't want to go back there, Liz."  
  
"No, there was stuff in there. There was a big room and loads of equipment. I think we should check it out." Leaning around the wall, she led the way into the room with the read-outs and instruments, none of which were functioning.   
  
The hidden door to the cell beyond it was open, bathed in red light like a photographer's dark room. Looking for any activated cameras in the ceiling, Liz didn't even see Max lying there and Maria flew to him, "Oh my God, Liz!"   
  
Joining her, Liz could feel her brain freezing over, numb to anything but her boyfriend and helping him. His face was pale and his lips were already fading into a tinge of blue as she ran her hands over his face, calling his name. "Come on, Max. Wake up!"   
  
Maria checked for a pulse then leaned her head against his chest before pulling slowly away, her eyes welling up with tears. Liz shook her head in a feeble gesture of denial; he couldn't be dead, not after everything that had happened to them. They were meant to be together. It was their destiny. Pulling herself together, Liz fought back her tears and eased him flat onto the floor and tilted his chin back, "Maria, we have to save him."   
  
Maria watched in disbelief and resignation, "Liz, there's nothing we can do. He's dead. Only Michael or Isabel can save him."   
  
Liz refused to believe it, "No! Some of Max is as human as you and I. We can try CPR. You do compressions."   
  
Maria placed her shaky hands over his chest, trying hard not to look at the lifeless, pasty face lying beneath her. Liz breathed into his mouth and Maria massaged again and again, alternating between hope and the certainty that all of this was useless. She could feel her arms aching with the exertion and she was about to tell Liz that they should give up when Max gave a strained, choking cough. He inhaled in deep ragged gasps and Liz pulled away from him sharply, her face betraying the same disbelief that Maria had felt.   
  
"Max?"   
  
He didn't move for a moment and her heart almost stopped in her chest when she thought that perhaps it had been a last expulsion of breath from his dying lungs. Then, leaning in close Liz could hear the fast, shallow breaths and she took his hand in her own, rubbing it until Max's eyelids fluttered and opened. He frowned, glazed eyes slowly focusing on the dark haired girl above him and then he smiled, weakly. "Hey."   
  
Liz reached down and kissed him lightly on the lips, ignoring the cool flesh which met her own warm skin. "Max."   
  
Helping him sit up against the wall, Maria tried to suppress the thought which was foremost in her mind, what had happened to Michael. Max took a few moments to regather enough strength to explain what had occurred with Isabel. Liz noted Maria's anxious and startled expression, "What happened here? What about Michael?"  
  
"Isabel knocked him out."   
  
Maria swallowed, afraid to ask the question whirling around in her mind. If Isabel had killed her own brother, what chance did Michael stand? "How do you know she didn't kill him, too?"   
  
Max looked at her, emotional support running between them and Maria could feel his reassurance spilling from every pore. "Don't worry, Maria. I can feel him. He's in here somewhere."   
  
Liz stopped him as he tried to get to his feet, "What about Isabel? Where is she?"  
  
"I don't know. Whatever Palmano did to her, I can't communicate with her anymore. I can't feel her at all."   
  
Maria stood up, purposefully, "We have to find Michael."   
  
Liz looked at her in shock, "What about Max?"  
  
"What about Max, Liz?"   
  
"He just died! We need to get him out of here and give him a chance to recover, get him home."   
  
Max shook his head and edged himself up the wall, using Liz's shoulder for support. "Maria's right. I feel better, Liz, just a bit wobbly. In a few minutes I'll be able to heal myself completely. We have to get to Michael before they do something to him. Besides, I'm not going without Isabel."   
  
Liz and Maria supported him under his arms as they edged towards the door. Liz asked, "But how can you help her, Max? Palmano has total control over her. She would just be a liability or worse."   
  
Max was defiant, "Liz, Isabel was the reason we came here. She's my sister. What are you asking me to do? Leave her behind?"   
  
Realising how her words must have sounded, Liz backed down. "Of course not. Let's get you somewhere safe until you're stronger, then we'll look."   
  
**********  
  
Michael could hear a faint whirring sound in the distance, like it was travelling towards him down a long, echoing tunnel. Behind it, he could hear the sound of waves, the tide coming in and out from the sea - the sea that he had never seen in his foster-home lifestyle. As his mind swam back towards consciousness, Michael realised that the waves were nothing more than his even breathing but the strange whirring continued.   
  
He opened his eyes slowly and was immediately confronted with blinding white light which instantly reminded him of where he was. His cheek felt tight, the skin stretched against his bones and Michael carefully put one hand up to his face, taking it away quickly when a dull pain ran through his head. His fingertips were covered in already congealing blood and he winced as he tried to sit up, pausing when the room tinged with black and he felt dizzy.   
  
Suddenly, gentle arms were helping him and providing a soft pillow for his head as he leaned it against the wall. As he opened his eyes again, Michael saw the familiar face of someone he cared about more than he had ever thought possible until the previous day. "Isabel?"   
  
She was crying before the word had even left his lips as she placed a damp cloth against his blood stained forehead. "I'm so sorry, Michael."   
  
For a moment he wasn't sure what to do, his instincts told him to comfort her, but there was another part of him which couldn't separate her from the person who had attacked him earlier. As he looked into her pained eyes, everything became clear and he said, "It's okay, Issy. I know it wasn't you, but we have to get out of here."   
  
She shook her head, fervently, "No. He'll be watching us. He let me in here, he wanted me to look after you. He wouldn't have done it if he hadn't already planned ahead."   
  
Michael winced when she pressed a little too hard on the bruising cut on his hairline and Isabel drew the cloth away, apologetically. Her face was as white as a sheet and Michael caught her hand in his, "What happened to Max?"   
  
Isabel refused to meet his gaze and then she burst into tears and he held her close, rocking her in a soothing motion. "Come on, Issy. What happened?"  
  
"The dream..." She didn't need to say anything else, all became clear.   
  
Michael's mind would not take it in, he was unable to imagine Max dead and being in this room made it even harder to envisage. Right now all he knew was that he had to strong for Isabel, to get her through this. Michael took her by the shoulders and wrenched her away from him, "Isabel, don't think about it. Tell me where he is and we can heal him."   
  
She pulled herself out of his grip, avoiding his stare, "No, it's too late. It's been too long."   
  
"You don't know that, we might still be able to bring him back. We just need to focus."   
  
Before Isabel could respond, guards entered the room and she got to her feet, feebly trying to shield Michael from anything they might do but the men were too strong for her and she was taken away while Michael was dragged away in the opposite direction.  
  
Still struggling unsuccessfully against the firm grip on his arms, Michael was taken to a similar looking holding cell where he was met by another doctor who looked equally reprehensible as Palmano. To make matters worse, this guy was holding a syringe and Michael was pretty sure that it didn't contain the happy pill in liquid form. He stiffened his body as the man approached, hoping to somehow find a way to prevent the needle coming in contact with his flesh. Instead of assaulting him, the doctor motioned for him to be taken over to where two comfy chairs had been placed at one side of the room. Michael reluctantly sat down, knowing that whatever was going to follow was not going to be about his own comfort.   
  
The doctor sat opposite him, placing the syringe carefully down on the coffee table beside him, then leaned back lacing his stubby fingers across his paunch. "Michael Guerin, isn't it?" Michael made no attempt to affirm. "I should tell you that your attitude will not get you very far, young man. I have no doubt that Mr Evans has enlightened you about his own experiences in a place such as this so I don't think I need to threaten you, do I?"   
  
Michael narrowed his eyes, sizing up the man in front of him, deciding what kind of a monster he was dealing with now. Sometimes they were all bark and no bite, occasionally a bit of bite to show that they are serious when they're not. This one seemed a bit too nice for that, the polite ones were always the worst. They probably spent all their free time studying the Oscar winning baddies from every film and Michael figured that this one was a big Gary Oldman fan. It was almost laughable now that he had put his finger on who the doctor was trying to be and as he droned on about the various tortures Michael would have inflicted on him, the victim was still deciding whether it was the character from 'Lost In Space' or 'Air Force One' which was the man's true hero.   
  
"Do you understand what I am saying, Michael? I know you are listening to me."   
  
Michael allowed his attention to return to the lecture and cleared his throat, melodramatically, "Look, I'd rather we just got on with whatever you are going to do. You've all made it perfectly clear that I'm nothing but a lab rat at your disposal, so this little speech really doesn't have much impact on me anymore."   
  
The doctor nodded his head and smiled, slyly, clearly enjoying the sarcastic attitude of his victim. "All right, Michael, I'll cut to the chase. Max Evans was our target and we still have him for autopsy. Isabel is an interesting addition and has already found her own niche in our experiments as you have no doubt already seen. So, that just leaves you."   
  
Michael fought back the rising emotions which Max and Isabel's names inspired in him and focused instead on the intent hate he felt for these white coat people. "Sadistic as it sounds, pain threshold is the next most important aspect of your species to control. Max was an eye opener for all of us, but in any good experiment there must be more evidence. The surgery must be performed on more than one alien in order to be of any value to us and our resources are scarce."   
  
Michael felt his heart skip a beat and fear exploded in his body, but no amount of deep breathing was going to alleviate this. So they were going to open him up and tear him apart just to see how much it hurt. That was what he had saved Max from not long ago and these scientists hadn't forgotten a thing. The doctor stood up and moved around the room, pacing backwards and forwards then circling Michael's chair in a menacing gesture.   
  
Michael refused to let himself get any more rattled; after all, this could just be a threat, but his head told him there was no such luck. It had been no threat with Max and it was unlikely that they cared any more about his own well being. In fact, the way that the group had broken in and everything that had happened since would only have antagonised the vicious men who worked here. Staring at the dull, white linoleum floor, Michael tried hard to concentrate on Isabel, on bringing her back to him, on breaking her out of Palmano's control.  
  
He felt around in the darkness for her and soon he could feel her panic and sorrow, the despair of someone who felt responsible for killing her own brother and probably killing her best friend, too. Michael tried to reach out to her, making the first contact but he was rudely pulled back to full consciousness by a smothering cloth over his face and the bitter smell of chloroform filling his nose and mouth. Suddenly, everything fell into slow motion and he was incapable of holding contact with Isabel as he feebly tried to pull the doctor's hands away from his face. The room began to spin and shimmer until the chair blended into the floor and the ceiling melted into blackness.  
  
**********  
  
Sorry if this reads a bit like 'The White Room'. I actually wrote this before the ep aired in the UK but perhaps the spoilers I needed to read for plot continuity took hold in my brain!   
  
One more part to go! 


	13. Part 13

UNDERCURRENTS - PART 13 (See Part 1 for disclaimers)  
By Allegra  
  
Isabel didn't know what to do with herself anymore, she just wished that Palmano would kill her and get it over with, or perhaps this was her just punishment. She felt completely numb, devoid of emotion, unable to feel anything - even hate or sadness. "Why are you doing this to me?"   
  
Palmano sat her down, offering her a drink which she didn't touch. "Isabel, it's nothing personal. This is an experiment, intended to save Earth from colonization, I don't care about Isabel Evans per se."   
  
Isabel sneered, "Is that supposed to make me feel better?"  
  
"Oh, I doubt there is anything that can do that right now. Max and Michael are dead."   
  
Isabel felt a small muscle in her eye beginning to twitch uncontrollably and she resisted the urge to put her hand up and rub it. Something deep inside her told her that Michael was okay, that Palmano was wrong. What good would it do to kill him now? Surely they were of more use alive than dead. At first, she was going to dispute it, but thought it better to play along with the doctor's game for a while, perhaps it would serve her well, even save her.   
  
Palmano was staring intently at her blank face, a look of faint dismay passing across his own, before he stood up, "Well, I'll leave you alone to prepare for the operation."  
  
"Operation?" So this was her punishment, to meet the same fate as Max had almost done.  
  
"No, no, not you. You're going to help me deal with your friend."   
  
Isabel felt her heart sink, she knew that no matter how she might feel now, there was no way that she could fight off Palmano's control over her. Regardless of how hard she focused on warding him off, he would win, he always did.   
  
The doctor locked the door behind him and Isabel sat silently, looking despairingly around the room. It felt like years since she had seen her friends or her own bedroom, felt her mother's arms around her. Hell, she even wished that she could see school again, take all the catty abuse from her jealous classmates and ogling from geeky boys. Now, it looked like she was going to die in an underground prison, subject to whatever some government agency chose to do.  
  
**********  
  
Max, fully recuperated, led the way around the compound, keeping the girls firmly out of the way whenever danger approached. Hearing voices from further down the corridor, he slipped into a side room, pulling Liz and Maria in behind him and he peered through the tiny glass window to see who it was. To his horror, a group of men wearing medical scrubs were wheeling a gurney down towards the door at the far end of the hall. As the stretcher passed by, Max recognized the face of his best friend, clearly drugged and unconscious with an oxygen mask over his face and two IV drips in his arm. Maria craned her neck into view and whispered, "Who is it?"   
  
"Michael."   
  
Maria stared at him, her eyes angry and defiant as if Max were somehow responsible for what was happening to her boyfriend. "They're going to do what they wanted to do to you, right?"   
  
Max said nothing but his silence spoke volumes. "We've got to help him."   
  
Liz looked around the small room, hoping to see something which might give them a clue as to what to do or offer some sign, but all she could see were empty filing cabinets and a desk. "Max, what can we do?"   
  
"Follow them discreetly. See what happens when they get there."   
  
Maria nodded, furiously, eager to get out of the dark and into a more active role. Liz stopped her by the shoulders, forcing her to breathe and calm down. "Maria, focus. Michael needs you to be clear-headed. You're just panicking."   
  
Taking her friend's advice, Maria took a few moments to pull herself together before following Max obediently down the hallway while her mind created one horrific death scene after another.  
  
Through the double doors and into a more sanitary area of the compound, the three could see through the reinforced glass and into the operating room. Michael lay, inert, on the table, oblivious to the instruments of torture gleaming in a line beside him. To Max's relief, the men had all dispersed and were filing out of the room beyond and were replaced with Isabel and Palmano. The doctor gently guided the girl towards the table and placed her hands on Michael's bare chest.   
  
Liz turned to Max, "What's he doing?"   
  
Maria chimed in, "What's Isabel doing?"   
  
Max drew his brows together, angrily, "He's controlling her. He's going to make her perform the operation."   
  
Palmano was speaking to her slowly, instructing her as Isabel's hands moved over the instruments on the table, skimming over the saw and scissors before taking up the scalpel. Max shivered, remembering the pain he had felt when the first incision had been made on his own chest not so long ago. He was only thankful that Michael didn't have to endure the same pain, at least Palmano's idea of fun was different to that of Agent Pierce.   
  
Michael was hooked up to a heart monitor amongst others and it was a relief to see that the beat was strong and even, if not a little below the normal rate. Wracking his brains to think of a way to help his friend, Max wet his lips nervously. Maria's voice was filled with fear as she whispered, "Max, what are we going to do?"   
  
"The only thing I can do. I have to try and get through to Isabel."   
  
Liz's eyes widened with fright, "But Max, last time you died trying to do that!"   
  
He leaned in to kiss her, holding her against him for a moment, hoping that it would be enough to reassure her that he had to do it. "It's our last chance, Liz." He looked deep into her eyes for a moment before tearing himself away and closing his eyes against everything around them.  
  
**********  
  
Unaware that her brother was alive and only a few feet away from her, Isabel brought the fine blade of the scalpel down onto Michael's chest, making first a vertical incision in his flesh followed by a horizontal one. The blood ebbed from the wound, staining her latex-gloved hands and his body. Palmano had already taken his leave and was no doubt watching on some monitor or other. Isabel was still numb inside, she had no recollection of the person lying before her or even what she was doing, it just happened. Her hands and fingers did the job as precisely as if she had been a surgeon for fifty years but she couldn't foresee what would happen next. It was like a snowball, gathering speed and momentum without any extra energy, just flowing along from one moment to the next.  
  
As she was about to bring the saw and prepare to open Michael's chest cavity completely, Isabel felt a jolt inside her. It was like a tiny current of energy that was waiting under the surface for her to carry out the next action before it hit again. The jolt flattened into a thin thread of energy, making its presence known like a worm burrowing through the earth, coursing through her veins.  
  
**********  
  
Max forced aside any of the incidents which had happened over the past few days, focusing instead on all the good things about Isabel, her beauty, the sibling love they shared and their friendship with Michael. He threw out images of Alex and their parents, of home cooked meals and water balloon fights in the back yard. At first, Max felt nothing in return, just his own offerings bounced back at him like a tennis ball off a brick wall. Then, he felt a slight dent in the defence, something being absorbed into her mind.   
  
Gradually, he pushed harder, forcing a catalogue of images into Isabel and, with every onslaught, fewer of them were returned to him. Refusing to give up on her, Max drew all his energy around him for the final attack, not daring to hope that he could break his sister down.   
  
**********  
  
Isabel felt the numbness dissipating inside her, felt the warmth and strength of Max close beside her. Then, she felt recognition for the unconscious figure beneath her, remembering who he was and where he fitted in. Struggling against the haze which still lingered around her, she broke free of Palmano's magnetic control. Startled, Isabel pulled away from Michael and then, immediately recalling where she was, she carefully turned back to the instrument table, picking up the saw but smuggling cotton wool and gauze in her other hand. Moving around the table, so that Palmano and his mob couldn't see what she was doing, Isabel swabbed some of the blood from Michael's wounds and removed the oxygen mask from his face.   
  
She felt Max forcing his way back into her mind, guiding her attention to the door through which Michael had been brought. Combining their energies together, Isabel felt the lock heating up, burning red hot until eventually molten metal fell to the floor in silvery grey drips. She followed her brother's lead to the other door on the opposite side of the room, where Palmano was stationed. Doing the same thing, the two aliens sealed the lock.  
  
An instant later, Max, Liz and Maria were inside the room, pulling out the I.Vs, kicking the brakes off Michael's gurney and running towards the corridor, hearing the pounding of fists behind them as Palmano realised how he had been fooled. Max took the lead, "Quick, he's going to raise the alarm any second!"   
  
Isabel drew them to a halt and took her brother's hand, while Liz and Maria watched in surprise as the lights flickered and died. They were about to move on again when Max paused at an intersection in the corridors before darting down an adjacent hallway. Liz stopped the others, "Wait. Max! What are you doing?"   
  
Isabel glanced up at the signs which adorned the walls, one of which pointed to some kind of boiler room. "You two get out of here, we'll catch up."   
  
Liz shook her head, fervently, "No, I'm not going without him."   
  
Isabel shot a defiant look but made no protest, darting after her brother. Liz exchanged a puzzled and frightened stare with Maria as she felt her heart tripping erratically in her chest. "Oh my God, what are we doing, Maria?!"   
  
The words were out of her mouth before she had even processed the thought, the tumbling panic and sheer disbelief that Liz Parker, a good student with an average, happy life, could be involved in something so ridiculous and dangerous. Seconds from freedom and they were just creating new obstacles for themselves. In the moments that she stood there, her mind raced across what would happen if she died here, how her father would just self-destruct if he lost another daughter and what would happen to Max if he escaped alive without her. Selfish, greedy need to simply leave with him regardless of what happened to the others consumed her until Maria started tugging her end of Michael's stretcher towards the external door.   
  
A second later, Max and Isabel were helping push with all their might, the gurney speeding down the slick linoleum. Liz glanced at Max, noting the anxious expression on his face and the sweat gathering on his forehead and collar, "Max? What happened?"   
  
Breathlessly shoving her ahead of him through another set of swing doors, he said, "Isabel and I set the boilers to explode."   
  
Liz looked at him in shock, weren't they in enough danger? As if reading her mind, Max forced a smile to his lips, "It's the only way to make sure Palmano doesn't find us again, that he doesn't still control Isabel."   
  
Making it to what they could only assume was some kind of cargo entrance, they wheeled Michael out into the night where Liz pulled out her mobile phone, "Alex! Get round to the other side of the rock! Now!"   
  
Maria leaned over Michael's still unconscious body and stroked his hair away from his face, noting the raw bruise still colouring on his forehead and the red cross of blood oozing from the wound on his chest. "Michael! If you can hear me, you have to wake up! We have to get out of here right now!"   
  
A second later, the squeal of rubber told them that Alex was nearly here and they unstrapped Michael from the stretcher and lifted him as gently as possible into the back seat of the jeep. Checking that everyone was safe, Alex sped off across the desert, praying that they got home before these people caught up with them.  
  
**********  
  
Michael remained unconscious for the duration of the journey but Liz checked on him every ten minutes or so and it was clear that the effects of the anaesthetic still had to wear off, apart from which he seemed to be physically sound. She crudely dressed his wounds wtih band-aids from the jeep's First Aid kit, carefully avoiding tugging the ruptured skin. Nobody spoke as the jeep bumped urgently along the uneven terrain, there was nothing anyone could really say or do. They may have escaped this time but who knew how long it would be before Palmano's team came after them again. Liz gazed blankly out of the window, trying to get her head around what had just happened while fighting down the nausea which plagued her stomach and threatened her dry throat with the bitter taste of bile.   
  
As they reached the outskirts of town, Michael began to stir and Maria tended to him, guiding him into an upright position, "Are you okay? How's your head?"   
  
Wincing a little against the seemingly ear-splitting volume of his girlfriend's voice, Michael nodded his good health. "I just feel a bit groggy."   
  
Nodding, Maria reached down into her bag and Michael tried not to grimace as he imagined some stinky aromatherapy oil being applied to his face or something, but was relieved to see a bottle of water emerge. "Here, drink some of this. You're dehydrated and this should help shake the anaesthetic."   
  
Sipping at the distastefully warm liquid, Michael laid his head against Maria's shoulder and closed his eyes against the streetlights of the main road.   
  
  
As the group dispersed, soberly, outside Michael's house where Isabel had decided to stay the night, Max made his way slowly home, digesting the full meaning of what had taken place. It hardly felt real, that everything that had happened since Michael's strange and sudden illness had led to Isabel's mental abduction and even his own death. Now, hours later, he was walking home from his best friend's house just as he had done nearly every night for many years. His feet felt like lead on the sidewalk and his tired eyes noted the crack in the street lamp which Michael had thrown a stone at not a month previously. Max felt like his life was passing him by while he watched it slip through a haze of panic and confused emotions.   
  
Barely able to think past the fatigue which was spreading through his aching limbs, Max turned into his own driveway and relaxed into the security of his own bedroom, his own world which so perfectly resembled normal life. A normal life which existed on the very edge of an abyss of unspeakable darkness, tracking his every move and reaching out its claws of inky blackness towards him. The calendar on his wall might set out his life as nothing more than rituals of homework and teenage fun, but it was only a matter of time before the abyss grew too large and the pinnacle which Max danced upon crumbled beneath him - before 'they' found him and kept him.  
  
THE END  
  
Well, that's it. I really, really hope you liked it. Please let me know what you thought by e-mailing me at audrey@cherrytwist.fsnet.co.uk or reviewing at ff.net. Thank you! 


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